The Grizzly Game
by Zestylicous
Summary: Sakura is forced into a game where losing means losing your soul. As she participates in the chuunin exams she fights off other players and comes to terms with a darker side of herself she never knew she possesed. Can she escape from the game?
1. Chapter 1

**So, this plot line is based off of the Liar Game; I was reading it one day and I thought it would make a good story. It's my first story on fanfic and the first ten chapters aren't the best but I've had a beta reader look at this chapter and hopefully I'll get the next chapters updated too. So I might not update for a little while. It's Sakura centered and mostly just about her growing up, there's not as much romance. If you're sick of Romancy Sakura stories you'll probably like this. (I feel that though she's kind of... 'so-so' in the manga but has a lot of potential to be someone stronger).**

**Enjoy and don't worry about me put this on haitus; even if it takes me years, I'll get it done :p. **

Sakura moved down from her room, every sound she made echoing eerily off the thin walls. Because she completed her first 'C' mission in the land of the waves her parents trusted her on her own.

The overwhelming amount of freedom seemed surreal and she didn't know whether to be frightened or excited. At first she had been upbeat, singing to herself as she moved about the house and keeping the curtains wide open to let in the sunlight. But once the initial thrill of freedom wore off and the light entering from the windows faded, the utter loneliness ate at her and she began to regret ever letting her parents step out the front door.

The shadows seemed to lengthen more quickly across her living room floor and even with her resolve to remain fearless and poised she jumped every time when the house creaked or the branches of the tree in her small backyard scratched on the wall. Eventually her nerve broke and she went around the house double checking locks and drawing the curtains.

In fact, the only reason she wasn't cowering pathetically in her room, shivering under the pale pink blankets, was that she was imagining how the love of her life, Uchiha Sasuke, would think of her panicky actions. He'd sneer if he knew her fears.

So Sakura tried to act calmly, cooking her dinner, muttering all the ninja regulations and rules under her breath. The exercise helped her focus and she took pride in the fact she had memorized them front and back. Sakura, no matter what Sasuke thought of her, or anyone else for that matter, felt a twinge of pride whenever she saw the glint of her headband in the mirror. She had a quick reaction time and an analytical mind, great for acting quickly in missions (theoretically). But fear (of failing, dying, looking stupid) kept her from doing more than the bare minimum. Sakura accepted it and somehow seeing the two backs of her teammates (three counting Kakashi) backs ready to protect her comforted her.

After her small dinner of onigiri there was a soft knock at her door that made her jump and her heart race. She moved slowly toward the sound, drying her hands on her apron, oddly anxious about opening it though it was probably only Ino, ready to take full advantage of her parentless house.

She opened the door and it wasn't Ino but a harmless looking man in uniform, holding a small white package; behind him, a truck labeled with a popular delivery company waited, rumbling idly.

"Ah, Haruno, Sakura?" he asked, looking down at the name on the box in his hands.

Sakura nodded dumbly, her pink locks swinging around her face while she twisted the soft fabric of her dress nervously. She had never gotten a package before, only watched as her parents received what seemed like a gift and she couldn't stop glancing at the white box.

The man handed it to her, drawing from underneath his other arm a clipboard and setting it on the top.

"Sign here," he said briskly.

Sakura quickly did as she was told, and with a small bob of his head he collected the clipboard and strode down the cracked stone steps to his waiting truck; the surprisingly heavy package in her hands.

She found herself closing the door and drifting over to the red leather couch, sitting stiffly on the edge of one of the cushions. The package was boxed in the standard form, completely nondescript and saying nothing about what was inside.

With the mindless but precise actions that got Sakura through the ninja academy, she opened the box and parted the white packaging peanuts. Her hands touched something smooth and bitingly cold; a dagger about the length of her arm. The sheath was unmarked, a black so deep that it seemed to absorb light. Sakura carefully and slowly slid the dagger away from its casing. She gasped, her eyes widening. It was astonishing, like no other weapon she had seen before. The metal looked to be made of a deep crimson material, as if it had been formed from pure bloodlust found on battlefields.

Who would send her this? Sakura gasped and smiled, Sasu-! She frowned and shook her head free of the optimistic thought; he would never do something like this. It was probably a present from her parents for her successful mission.

Something in the discarded box caught her eye: a card. Sliding the dagger back into its sheath, she reached for it.

_Haruno Sakura-san_

_Congratulations! You have been selected to compete in the Grizzly Game and have the opportunity to win up to six very unique weapons! The dagger you have received is WRATH, one out of the seven involved in this game. We have lent you the use of Wrath for only the period of the Grizzly Game and will collect it from you at the end. If you have lost your beginning dagger your soul will suit as a substitution. Any dagger you take from another player will not be collected from you and you are welcome to keep. The game will start today at 5 pm and will end in thirty days. Removing the dagger from its sheath signifies your consent to playing. Good luck!_

_G.G.C_

"Oh shit," Sakura groaned, dropping the card and letting her head lay limp in her hands.

The naked blade glinted in the corner of her eye. Could she be so stupid? She had taken the dagger out of the case already! She wanted a redo, rewind time to when she opened the door to slam it in the delivery man's face. Her first 'present' and it was this; a death warrant.

They will take her soul if she lost this dagger? Were they able to take it, as if it were merely a regular transaction? Sakura couldn't move, nerves shot. How could they take her soul? It wasn't possible, there was no rational way that could happen! And if there was a way…she didn't stand a chance. She was only a genin, an inexperienced girl! She snorted at the pride that filled her all a few minutes earlier. What would rules and regulations do for her now?

Only thirty days. She had to last a month and she would be fine. Just fine. Her parents could protect her, her teammates, Konoha even! Everyone… standing in front of her. But where would that leave her among all those so much stronger, those who actually put their whole heart into their ninja way? When everything and everyone is stripped away only her weakness and fear are left, cowering under those blankets in her room. What would Sasuke think?

The façade shattered and she slumped again into the couch. He'd hate her. Heck, even she'd hate herself.

In the end she would be slaughtered, she would lose her soul, if not her life. What kind of game could do this to a person? And why? The pointlessness of it ate at Sakura and a part of her demanded to know the answers. She ached to throw the dagger out the window and pretend it never happened.

The dagger. They said it was unique. Maybe it could help her. If it had some awesome power that would raise her talent to above average and she stood a chance. She didn't think about the fact that all the players had a similar dagger; the thought scared her.

Sakura reached for it, grasping the hilt. Sliding back the sheath an inch, she probed it with her chakra and in the instant it touched the metal, a needle-like presence tore into her mind.

"Wha-?" she gasped.

Sakura went white as a sheet, her stomach rolling with protest. She couldn't open her hands as if they were glued to it. She tried to shove the dagger away, tried to scream but even lesser tasks such as crying or blinking out of rhythm were taken from her. She lost all feeling as her mind was invaded by an alien presence, probing. In seconds her memories were shuffled through and discarded as trash. Acid adrenaline rushed through her body and if it weren't for her frozen state she'd have fainted.

"_**Weak. No use at all,"**_ spat a deep and unfamiliar voice, cutting through her thoughts and startling her into a surprised silence.

He sounded angry, cynical with every word. And she heard him in her head but he was nothing like inner Sakura who was part of herself.

"_**Snap out of it. Aren't you a ninja?" **_the voice growled.

Taken aback, Sakura tried to speak but found that she still couldn't move her lips.

'W-who are you?' she thought instead.

The voice scoffed, _**"Are you utterly stupid? You already know my name, girl."**_

Sakura glanced at the card, lying innocently on the floor.

'A-are you Wrath?' she thought, stunned and stuttering even without using her tongue.

"_**You have finally managed to grasp the obvious," **_he drawled, sounding almost bored.

'But… but, how is this even possible? What are you?' she asked, thinking quickly but coming up without an answer.

"_**Simple, I am the anger of countless souls, made to manifest in a single blade when they die with me at their hand or with their blood on my blade. I am what you feel when your eyes go hard and your soul turns black. I am the end of innumerable people. Their lifeblood is stained on my blade," **_he said dully with the ever present edge of sarcasm.

Sakura's thoughts screamed to a standstill. This…. This dagger felt evil. The voice itself scared her senseless, as if it was attached to a man that had her cornered in a dark alley and held a kunai to her throat. And it felt all wrong; everything he said felt deceitful, it was just too unbelievable.

'What do you mean? Souls! What you're saying isn't even possible!' she screamed at him.

Sakura's thorough analytical skills kicked in and her mind raced through countless questions all summed into one word.

'Why?' she wailed pathetically.

"_**You are my master. I came to your hand. For whatever reason, I am stuck with you until my first master parts us. Until then I expect you to stay alive or your wrath will join those already absorbed into my blade. And I will not let you part with me,"**_ he explained impatiently.

Sakura said nothing, only hanging her head. Why had she drawn the dagger? What had she gotten into?

"_**You have the chance of a lifetime," **_he offered then paused before continuing in sleeker tone of voice,_** "I will keep you alive… at a price."**_

He would help her? In Sakura a spark of hope was lit. She hand a chance! Whatever the price was she could do it.

'Yes! Yes! I'll do it!' she said hysterically.

"_**So you will kill my true master before I leave your possession? Good girl, agreeing so nicely,"**_ he said, voice thick with satisfaction.

Sakura's insides turned to ice and her hope vanished in the wake of his words. He wanted her to do what?

"_**When it comes to it I will help you hold your end of this bargain**__**,**__** if you agree to my terms and do as I say,"**_ he finished simply.

This was all too quick and Sakura was floundering in indecision. She didn't know what to do. She only wanted to let go and be free of this presence that made her mind ache. Thinking beyond that goal was too scary. Killing someone, and fighting in turn for her own life. Sakura just wanted him out; she needed to think.

_FIGHT HIM!_Yelled inner Sakura from a corner of her mind.

Sakura ached with relief.

_DON'T LET HIM GET THE BEST OF US! HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO HE'S DEALING WITH!_

Sakura nodded firmly, her resolve strengthening.

"_**Who the hell are you?" **_Wrath snarled, an edge of surprise to his voice.

'Get out of my head!'

_OUT YOU BASTARD!_

Sakura willed her hands to open. With each movement her hand tried to make, pain shot through her body. It felt as if she was trying reach into her head and rip her spine out.

"Ahh!" she screamed and her hands sprang open, the presence in her head leaving a last sentence ringing in her ears.

"_**You will need me girl," **_he ended quietly, unmoved by her show of will power.

Wrath dropped to the ground, the deadly red metal gleaming under the light. Sakura scrambled as far away from it as she could. This all seemed so surreal. She had thought she had been frozen for minutes talking to Wrath, when really, no time passed at all.

Sakura stood, sagging against the wooden wall and breathing hard. She ripped her eyes away from the enticing weapon lying on the white carpet, shutting them tiredly. The struggle with Wrath had sucked out all her energy and she was left with only a listless finality. It all had happened. Sakura was really a part of a game that if you lose, you lose your soul.

Slowly, with the movements of an old hag, Sakura made her way to her room, not caring anymore what Sasuke would think of her; somehow there were more important things to worry about now.

She desperately wanted to run, whining, to Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, or even Naruto. But she wouldn't. They all already saw her as weak, without any courage to stand on her own. She had to prove them wrong; she couldn't rely on them any longer. She was on her own for the first time in her life. The childhood bullying of her past was nothing compared to this.

She woke to her own screaming. Jolting to a sitting position she heard a ringing then realized the sound was her alarm ringing noisily at her ear. It flashed six fifty in bright red numbers.

Her night had been filled with bloody nightmares. People running from her, limping with injuries, behind her the cries of those she cut down mercilessly. She was exhausted as if she hadn't slept at all. She had seen the deaths of countless people, all at the blade of Wrath, whom she had directed. She knew he was doing this to her sleep, mentally messing with her. Somehow he radiated death; so much that she saw it in her dreams.

She got up despite the urge to lay limp and try to purge her mind of Wrath's influence. She had to meet her team at seven, ten minutes from now. Sakura groaned and fell back onto her pillow; she was never going to make it.

Sakura ran through Konoha, dodging past foot traffic. While she had gotten ready the dagger still lying on the floor had called to her; tempting with its power.

Despite Wrath, she had somehow made it out her door five minutes after she woke up, cutting way too close to seven o'clock. Both Sasuke and Naruto were waiting for her at their meeting place, resolutely facing away from each other.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun!" she couldn't help but squeal; it was routine now and routine felt safe.

Sasuke grunted noncommittally in reply.

"Good morning Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled happily, almost turning around and facing Sasuke before catching himself.

Sakura nodded to him, still not completely over her annoyance of him. But ever since Wave country she was starting to tolerate him, in an annoying little brother way.

Naruto glared over his shoulder at Sasuke before whipping his head back around to face the other way.

Naruto and Sasuke had been at odds ever since the mission at wave country, their rivalry increasing to extreme ends; Kakashi couldn't get there soon enough.

_WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO! ACT YOUR AGE!_Inner Sakura screamed at the boys.

Three hours later Kakashi finally slouched his way towards them.

"Hey Guys! I got lost!" he said brightly, waving.

Sakura sighed, her head aching too much to bother to yell at their perpetually late sensei. Naruto, though, thought differently:

"You're a failure as a ninja! Hey, hey Kakashi-sensei! Lately all of our team seven mission's have been too easy. I want a more, you know, a hot one! Where I can shine! That follows my ninja path! And my heart like…!" Naruto yelled, oblivious to Kakashi's boredom.

"Yeah, yeah, I pretty much know what you're going to say," Kakashi responded, scratching his head.

She winced at Naruto's complete 'awakeness'. She was way too tired to deal with him today. Kakashi branched off of Naruto's topic, explaining their missions.

Sakura sighed, last night's problems swamped by everyday life on team seven. It helped, in a way, letting her rationalize and step out of the problem. Though it hung just on the edges of her thoughts and it was hard stop thinking of the blade on her living room floor.

"You got it, let's get this over with," Kakashi finished, turning away from them.

Kakashi started down the road, Sasuke and Sakura following closely behind. After a few steps she noticed that Naruto was missing.

"Naruto! Get your ass over here!" she turned, scowling and yelling back at him.

Naruto, busy dreaming of Sasuke's failure, was startled out of his thoughts to find his team had gone on without him.

"Oh, yeah!" he shouted, running to catch up.

"Tut, tut Sakura, such strong language at your age," Kakashi remarked, shaking his head.

"I had a bad night," she answered sullenly, ignoring the look he gave her over the familiar adult book he held up to his face.

It was a bad day too. Throughout all three missions Naruto was set on doing more than Sasuke. He rolled down a cliff while trying to reach a piece of trash, got beaten half to death by an old man he tripped over in his haste to deliver a message, and got bitten several times by a possum stuck in a house. Each time Sasuke was forced to save him, to Sasuke's apparent displeasure (although Sakura did have to admit that she felt satisfied each time she saw Naruto get beaten).

Naruto ended up leaning pathetically against Sakura on the way home from their last mission, whose mood had only gotten worse as the day went on.

"Idiot, there was no need to overexert yourself like that," she chided scathingly.

Naruto clenched his teeth together to the point Sakura could hear them grinding noisily together. She dropped him, ruthlessly walking away.

"Sakura-chan! Don't leave me!" he called after her, sitting where he fell.

"You can walk!" she yelled over her shoulder.

She stood silently next to Kakashi, trying to scrape together a good mood.

"Hmmm, teamwork seems to be suffering lately," he mumbled to himself.

Sakura only glanced at him; when had it not? Even on the second day they had been together, Sasuke forced himself to work with others and Sakura had only helped Naruto because Sasuke had wanted her to. The only true teamwork Sakura had seen on team seven was between Sasuke and Naruto while fighting Zabuza and Haku. She had been left to play guard.

"Yeah, yeah! You're ruining our teamwork you bastard! Always hogging the spot light!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke's retreating back.

"That's your fault you moron. If you want me to stop making you look bad, then just become stronger than me," he replied with a challenging glare.

Naruto gulped, trying and failing to glare back.

Sakura shook her head; they were getting worse. But she had other things to worry about, like Wrath lying in the middle of her living room.

"Ok that's it for today; I have to go submit this mission report," Kakashi said staring at a falcon in the sky.

"Then I'm going home," Sasuke said tersely, turning and walking away.

Sakura knew she said she wouldn't ask for help, she knew she said she'd go through this on her own but seeing Sasuke walk away like that, leaving her alone, she couldn't help but call after him.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!"

She ran after him, feeling her desperation grow, "How about we go train for awhile to work on our teamwork?"

Sasuke had paused but answered her silent plea without hesitating, "You're the same as Naruto. If you have time to bother me, go practice a jutsu or two. Frankly, your ability is below Naruto's."

Sakura flinched severely then looked to the ground and bite her lip. If she was so weak how was she going to survive this alone? It was the truth, she was below Naruto, and she'd known that for a long time. She was going to die and no one would know what she died for. The whole idiocy struck her then and Sakura wondered who could have thought up such a pointless game.

"Sakura-chan, forget Sasuke, let's train together!" Naruto said, obviously feeling bad for her.

His offer was lost on her, she was too deep in thought to notice. She'd have to go home soon and face Wrath again in her empty house.

She didn't see the oddly square rock sneak up behind Naruto and the following conversation between him and the three kids hiding under it. The only thing she caught was:

"What! You said you'd play ninja with us today!"

Play ninja… that was what Sakura had been doing her whole time as a genin; she had never really been trying, only acting. Where would playing get her?

"Why would a ninja play ninja…?" she muttered under her breath, the question more to herself than to Naruto.

Naruto stared at Sakura and paled.

"Uh… What's wrong?" he asked hesitantly.

Sakura blinked, surprised that he had noticed her change in mood.

"Hey bro! Who's this chick?" one of the kids yelled.

Sakura only vaguely noted goggles on his forehead and spiky dark hair.

"Not bad bro," the kid said, leering, "She's your-"

The kid lifted a pinky.

"Wow, you brats are very perceptive," Naruto replied bashfully.

What? What was th-! Sakura suddenly realized what the little creep was implying. She reacted on no sleep, frayed nerves, and confusion.

"I am not your girlfriend!"

She punched him, sending him into a wall. And she felt very satisfied; she was strong enough to do that at least, if only she had a chance to show it on the battlefield. This was so frustrating!

"How dare you!" the kid yelled, running to a limp and bleeding Naruto.

Sakura was suddenly ashamed. Why did she have to punch him so hard? He was only kidding around.

"You ugly bitch!" the kid continued.

She snapped again, her sympathy vanishing. Her fuse was a lot shorter than she thought today. She swung her arm back and hit the kid, sending him flying into Naruto. He slumped into a sitting position.

"Ouch, damn that ugly, huge forehead. Is that really a girl, bro?" he asked, glaring up at Sakura.

Sakura, who had managed to start walking away, froze. He said the one thing that would completely get to her; God damn it.

"You're dead!" she yelled, turning on her heel to chase after him.

Wrath…all this anger was from her brief contact with the dagger. But it felt so good to be angry, so cleansing. Even when she saw the two foreigners standing in the way of her rampage, she couldn't stop being angry. She was just so furious. Then the kid ran, unseeing, into the male foreigner while fleeing from her.

"Oww…that hurt you little piece of shit!" the foreigner yelled.

The boy was older than her with odd paintings on his face. From his clothes and headband he was from Sand. He carried an odd wrapped object on his back, roughly the size of a child. When she saw the tuft of hair poking out at the top she wondered briefly if it really was a dead child.

A girl stood next to him, looking down with an exasperated expression at the kid. Her hair was blonde, tied in four parts, two on the lower part of her head and two on the top. On her back was a large fan and she wore a short kimono.

The boy Sakura had been chasing was lifted into the air by the front of his shirt despite his attempts to free himself.

"Don't, we'll get yelled at," the girl cautioned, only to be ignored by the guy.

"Hey fatass, let go of him!" Naruto yelled, stopping next to Sakura.

Sakura ignored the danger signs going off in her head, and strode recklessly up to the guy, gripping the hand holding Naruto's playmate up.

"You asshole, let him go," she said lowly to him, not looking away from his incredulous gaze.

Sakura had found someone to let her frustration out on and was not going to miss this chance.

"Do you really want to start a fight with a ninja from the village you're visiting? You could get in a lot of trouble," Sakura's voice had taken on Wrath's edge.

The Sand ninja glared down at her, considering, his mouth turning up into a grin.

"I have time to play with you until the boss comes. Can you back up your words?"

"Bastard!" Naruto began to run toward them but tripped and sprawled to the ground before he got very close.

Sakura was surprised but covered it with a scowl.

"Oh, leaf genin are weak," the foreigner said snidely, staring down at Naruto.

Sakura moved quicker than she ever had before and a kunai was pointed at the Sand ninja's neck, her eyes flashing.

"Say that again, I dare you," she taunted, pushing harder for a fight.

"Konohamaru-kun! Konohamaru-chan!" the two other kids yelled, finally catching up.

So that was the brat's name. The sand ninja's grip on Konohamaru tightened around the kid's neck and the kid shook from the pain of it.

"Hey you fat pig! Let him go! Fatass! Idoit!" Naruto yelled, shooting off random insults behind her.

"Naruto, shut the hell up and don't get involved," Sakura growled, feeling wires wrapping around her body. She could see the sand ninja's other hand twitch and the ropes tightened. She knew she was stuck; it didn't matter.

"Basically, I hate midgets, especially young ones that are rude. Makes me want to kill them," the sand ninja said, getting annoyed.

"Ugh!" Konohamaru groaned.

"Oh well, I'm not involved," the other sand-nin sighed, closing her eyes.

"I'll take care of the kid first," his eyes slid over to Sakura's glaring form, "You're next."

"I don't like to wait!" with a substitution jutsu, Sakura got out of the ropes, replacing Konohamaru's in the sand-nin's grip, his punch headed towards her instead of the helpless little kid.

"Hey!" Naruto gasped out, as Sakura braced for the impact; it was too late to block after all and maybe the pain would help clear her head she thought optimistically.

It never came. A rock smashed into the sand ninja's hand with enough force to change its direction. Looking to the source of the throw she saw Sasuke, perched in a nearby tree. He gave her an inquisitive glance then turned his look to the foreigners.

"What are you bastards doing in our village?" he asked cuttingly.

Sakura frowned, feeling a quick burst of anger toward Sasuke. She gasped; why? She was angry at even him!

"Sasuke-kun…" she murmured, having landed swiftly on her feet when the sand-nin was forced to let go.

Realizing Konohamaru was still wrapped in the strings that had originally been for her, Sakura lashed out with her foot, connecting with the sand-nin's other hand. He grunted and was forced to lose control of some sort of chakra string.

"Ah, another guy who pisses me off," the sand-nin mumbled, rubbing the bruises already showing on his hands.

"Get lost," Sasuke replied coolly.

Sakura glared, at what she didn't know. Her opportunity had been lost to Sasuke who, once again, felt the need to take the lead.

"Hey punk, get down here and face me!" the sand ninja yelled, curling his hands into fists.

"No need, you can fight me instead," Sakura growled, moving to stand in front of the tree Sasuke was lounging in.

"Sakura? What's up with you?" Naruto called out, a little confused by the quick series of events.

She could see Sasuke giving her another questioning glance.

The sand ninja glared, "I hate show-offs like you the most."

He started to loosen the tie holding of the object on his back.

"Hey, you're even going to use Karasu?" the girl asked, annoyed and walking closer.

"Kankuro, stop it," came a deep threatening voice from the tree Sasuke was in.

That voice! Sakura glanced behind her to see a figure standing upside down on a branch next to Sasuke's. It sounded just like Wrath! She gasped and took a step back. I-it couldn't be… could it? Could the voice have manifested somehow outside of the blade? Her breathing came faster and she began to panic until she noticed more about the person attached to the voice.

He was a kid, like the Sand-nin, with red hair, deep green eyes, no eyebrows, and a tattoo on the left side of his forehead. He glared at the first sand ninja.

"You're embarrassing our village," he said lowly.

Sakura nearly sighed with relief then stopped abruptly. She felt this sense of foreboding. This kid was not normal.

"Losing yourself in a fight… how pathetic. Why do you think we came to the leaf village?" he continued.

"Listen Gaara, they started it and…" the first sand ninja pleaded, all bravado gone.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, why did the obviously older sand ninja acting so fearful towards this new guy…this Gaara? It didn't make sense.

"Shut up. I will kill you," Gaara said seriously, no look of humor on his face.

Sakura froze at the killing intent in his voice…toward his own teammate?! Who was this guy?

Kankuro visibly shook, sweat dripping down his face.

"Ok, I'm sorry," he apologized, looking to the ground.

The girl also pitched in, "I'm also sorry, really sorry."

"Sorry to you guys," Gaara said, turning to Sasuke.

Sakura again felt a stab of anger, but tried her best to control it. She merely scowled up at Gaara who transported down from the tree and in between his two teammates.

"It looks like we came here too early, but we didn't come here to play around," he said, addressing them.

"I-I know that," Kankuro, stuttered fearfully.

"Let's go," Garra ordered, turning.

Sakura frowned; they were leaving, just like that? She wanted a fight to satisfy her increasing anger. This stale confrontation just left her feeling unsatisfied.

"Wait a sec!" she called out, stepping forward.

Gaara turned and answered for his team, "What?"

"You're from the Hidden village of Sand… so why are you here? And I'll need to see your passports. If you don't have them I may not be able to let you leave."

Gaara considered her with an appraising glance but didn't bother to answer.

"Talk about clueless don't you know anything? Here's my pass. We are from hidden in the sand and we are here for the chuunin exams," the girl answered with a haughty look.

"I thought it might be that," Sakura said while quickly glancing over the pass.

"Chuunin exams?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"It's-" Sakura knew the girl was about to go off on an endless rant and stopped her mid sentence.

"Don't be such a dumb ass, Naruto."

"But I really don't know!" he whined.

"And I don't care; ask sensei if you really want to know. This is a waste of time," she replied tersely, frustrated.

"Hey he asked a question, let me finish!" the girl sand ninja yelled, cutting into their conversation.

Sakura shot her a scathing look, "No."

Sasuke jumped from the tree, "Hey, you. What's your name?"

"Huh? You mean me?" the girl exclaimed, turning away from Sakura, her eyes sparkling.

Sakura knew that look, she wore it every day; the fan girl look.

"No, the one with the gourd," Sasuke interjected, sending the sand-girl into an embarrassed silence. Really, she was, two- three years older than Sasuke! Her taste in guys was bad.

_You fell in love with him, chaa!_Her inner said, making Sakura frown. Love just seemed so… pointless right now. She glanced at Sasuke and still felt that weird warm feeling whenever she saw him. Sakura shoved the feeling roughly to the side and returned to studying the Sand team.

"Gaara, of the desert," Gaara answered after a short pause, "I am also interested in your name."

"It's Uchiha Sasuke," he said with a superior look that sent another stab of anger through Sakura's gut.

Gaara's gaze slid from Sasuke to Sakura, who was considering him with a destructive glare.

"And you?"

She frowned, shaking her head.

"It doesn't matter," Sakura muttered, turning away and crossing her arms together, 'I'll be dead soon anyways,' she thought to herself.

"What about me huh!!" Naruto yelled, pointing to his chest.

"Not interested, come on lets go," Gaara turned, with one last unreadable look unseen by Sakura, and he and his team jumped away, blurring with the speed.

Sakura was already leaving, too worried about what was waiting for her at home to notice the three sets of eyes watching her team.

**In case you didn't catch it, the time for this is before the chuunin exams and right after the Land of the Waves mission. The main point of this story is to turn Sakura from her regular not so nice self into someone a little stronger and more mature (I hope, I'm almost making her too emotional and angsty). Review if you want to say anything!**

**Zesty**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the second chapter. It seems that I'm going backward with my progress to improve this story…. Oh well. I'm sorry for those who have already read my story up to chapter seventeen, for awhile I'll only be putting up edited versions of the chapters. But they will be much better because of my great and ruthless beta reader so rereading could be beneficial. **

An envelope waited at Sakura's doorstep. She froze at the foot of her stairs, feeling an icy weight descend upon her shoulders. After a deep, shuddering breath she bent to pick it up. Sakura saw only her name printed on one side in the same font as the card from yesterday. She stared at it for a few seconds, trying to gain any knowledge of the sender from the choice of elaborate font and gave up once she realized that from the font she only lent to the possibility that the sender could be a girl. She noticed then the sender hadn't left a return address.

She slowly ran her finger under the flap and opened it, pulling out a list of six names and pictures. She studied the faces and shuddered at the thought that these six people would be receiving her picture and name in an envelope like this one. What would they think of her? She shoved the list back in the envelope and with a quick glance down the street, walked into her house.

Despite how normal her house looked, everything seemed surreal. Her glassy eyes ran over the familiar scene and she almost relaxed until something caught her eye. Half hidden by her couch, the dagger waited for her and the sight shocked her into reality. The incident with the sand ninja left her scared. She needed all the strength she could muster, potential anger be damned and couldn't help but give in to the desire to take the dagger up and use it as her own. She reached for it, the cold of the handle repulsing her and she almost flinched away but logic told her she couldn't just leave the dagger unprotected on the floor. Her very soul relied on the safety of the blade and then it gave her extra reassurance of being armed past the basic kunai. Wrath remained smugly quiet as she slid the blade into the sheath and tucked it into her belt.

She sat heavily on the couch and upended the envelope on her table, snatching at the list and looking at the faces with more energy. All the other players listed in the envelope were men from their teens to late twenties and nearly all their villages labeled them as missing and dangerous ninja. The pictures of battle hardened faces and dead eyes convinced her more than the list of high ranks and long death tolls. They all had to be a hundred times stronger than her.

She memorized the names and faces, deciding she would sit and wait for them. She didn't have to go looking, they would come to her. She knew she was the weakest looking out of all seven, a pathetic genin. Her only hope was to be alert and prepared to prevent them from killing her right off.

"_**Remember the deal I suggested. I could be of some help,"**_ Wrath whispered in her mind, his voice as treacherous and slippery as the hiss of a snake.

Sakura jumped in surprise, still not used to hearing him speak as he did.

"I want to get stronger," Sakura started uncertainly, "but I don't trust you. What would I have to do?"

"_**All I need is a little drop of your blood." **_

Sakura wavered, knowing that a drop of blood would be nothing compared to a painful death at the hands of an experience killer. But a single drop of blood could go a long way in the world of the ninja. With enough chakra and the right hand seals it could summon any type of creature, it told things about herself that Sakura didn't even know, and in the older contracts and bonds it acted as your signature. No, she couldn't trust someone as powerful and mysterious as Wrath with something like that.

"No. Not yet at least. If I find I need your help… then maybe," she said finally.

"_**I am not a patient man, but I don't mind waiting while longer," **__Wrath said without seeming to care what she chose, __**"Just don't take so long to decide that your blood is completely spent by the time you do." **_

Sakura gulped dryly, feeling the truth beneath the silky treachery in his voice. She might have to trust that voice with her soul and most likely her life.

Sakura set some traps to protect her from the other players while she slept but only managed to doze off every now and then. When she did sleep her dreams where plagued by portraits of death and Wrath's deep and mocking laughter. So she arrived late, once again, to her team meeting at the bridge, on top of being very tired. Waiting for Kakashi to arrive for another forty minutes only added to her frustration.

"That damn Kakashi! What the hell is wrong with him! Why can't he just say that we meet at a later time if he's going to be late anyway?" she finally yelled, punching the rail of the bridge, the wood groaning from the force.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan is right!" Naruto agreed quickly.

"Morning people!" called the familiar and overly cheerful voice.

Sakura looked up to see her sensei crouching on the arch above them, an arm raised in greeting.

"I got lost on the road of life!" he continued.

"Only you could…" Sakura growled under her breath.

"Well," Kakashi jumped from the arch, "I've selected you to participate in the chuunin exams."

Sakura frowned. Weren't the chuunin exams only for experience genin? Team seven only just got back from their first C mission, which they barely survived. So why would Kakashi nominate them? But after the shock and the reflexive whiplash of shock Sakura felt pleased. She must be stronger than she thought if Kakashi trusted them to survive the tests. Maybe she didn't need Wrath after all!

"Like this makes up for it," Naruto said, unable to keep a self satisfied grin off his face.

"Wai-" Sakura started, beginning her dread and doubt returned. How could such a dysfunctional team be ready for something so hazardous? Sure, team seven took down Zabuza and his lackey Haku, but Kakashi did most of it and Haku... Sasuke almost died just holding him back.

"Here are your applications," Kakashi said, handing one to Sakura and ignoring her half voiced protest.

As Naruto received the slip of paper he couldn't contain his glee and took a running leap to envelope Kakashi in a fierce hug, "Kakashi-sensei, I love you!"

"Hey!" Kakashi yelped as he tried to pry him off.

Sakura ignored them and frowned down at the application. She didn't need this. She should be training and getting stronger, not taking a useless test that she could never pass! Kakashi had the worst timing!

"This is just a nomination, it's up to you to decide if you want to take the exam or not. If you want to take it, sign the paper and show up at room 301 at 4pm tomorrow," Kakashi paused, casting a searching look over his students. His gaze stopped at Sakura's waist and he asked, "Sakura, what's that?"

He indicated her dagger with a nod of his head. Sakura glanced at him then at Wrath settled comfortably against her waist.

"Oh…it's a present, for my first 'C' mission," she answered quickly, spouting off the first lie she could think off.

Kakashi nodded and smiled, sending a pang of guilt through Sakura. She really wanted to tell him the truth, not just because she hated lying to him, but because she knew he'd protect her until the very end, even if it killed him. That was why she couldn't say anything. She couldn't live with the weight of someone else's life on her shoulders.

"Hmmm, that is all," Kakashi said, apparently losing interest in Sakura and transporting away, leaving the three alone.

"Chuunin exam! Chuunin exam!" Naruto screamed loudly as the team walked away.

There were going to be a lot of strong guys in the exam. Sakura stopped walking, letting her two teammates continue without her. They were too busy imaging the upcoming fights to notice her absence.

She glanced down at the paper in her hand. She couldn't handle all this. She was the weakest person on her team and she was going to have to handle players from The Game ten times stronger than her for the next month. She couldn't do this! Maybe she should take Wrath's offer. But she didn't want to kill anyone. She just couldn't make up her mind.

At least she had a few days before anyone from The Game made a move. Maybe she could finish the exam before having to focus on The Game. She smiled slightly, taking comfort in the thought and began to walk home.

Like yesterday, Sakura froze before the steps to her house. This time it wasn't an envelope that made her stop; it was something much worse. Her door hung pathetically off its hinges and swung lightly in the wind. Everything she could see beyond was broken and out of place. She walked sluggishly up the first step and peered into the living room. Her red leather couch was ripped to shreds and her T.V was a mass of jumbled wire and plastic. Sakura gulped her hand dropping to Wrath's hilt. Realizing what she'd done, she immediately snatched it away in repulsion.

She was certain one of the players had done this, but she couldn't feel any one still inside. Gritting her teeth, Sakura shot up the last steps and trotted a few feet into her house. The kitchen and dining room looked no better, most notably, her table had been crushed into a 'V' shape, and her oven gaped open like the unhinged jaws of a monster. Glass from smashed windows crunched underfoot as she ran through her house, trying to find anything salvageable. As she dashed from room to room, her hand instinctively grasped at Wrath's hilt. After the third room she began to feel dizzy from shock and panic, she gave up trying to keep her hand away. She found nothing. Even the pad she slept on at night was ruined, slashed to ribbons where it lay crumpled on her bedroom floor.

Sakura wondered briefly why ANBU weren't at her house already; surely the neighbors saw something and reported it, or someone sensed some sort of chakra use or disturbance here. Then it occurred to her that her enemy could be stronger than Konoha's ANBU force. As for her neighbors… they never cared for the Haruno family in the first place and most likely wouldn't have cared if they heard or saw the disturbance. After all, Sakura talked to and was on a team with Naruto, the most hated boy in the village.

She didn't know how she'd explain the mess to her parents when they arrived home. They never should have left her alone. Once they knew about the break in, they never would again.

Mechanically, Sakura went through the motions of cleaning. Who ever did this was gone already, or lying in wait close by to watch her. It almost broke her nerve. She almost ran, screaming, to Sasuke's house or to the Hokage. Only Wrath's cynical and oddly comforting presence restrained her. She possessed a weapon to use in her defense. And if it came to the worst, she could agree to his bargain.

After cleaning the worst of the mess and throwing the ruined furniture in the nearby dump, Sakura reset her traps and decided to spend the night in the comfort of her parent's room. At the very least, the change could give her enough time to sense an intruder poking around in her room, expecting her to be there. She sat against the wall for hours, clutching Wrath to her chest and unable to fall into sleep. She knew that her parents owned insurance for the house and could get their money back but just the thought of someone breaking into the place she lived so easily freaked her out. Despite her fear and nervous energy Sakura fell into a light doze sometime deep into the night.

"_**Wake up!"**_

Wrath's voice in her head startled Sakura awake. She gasped, realizing immediately that someone tripped the wire she had placed at the bottom of the stairs. The intruder had apparently already avoided the hastily put together trap at the front door.

Sakura slid into a standing position, readying Wrath. She heard cautious footsteps ascending the stairs, her heart beating in a contrasting erratic rhythm. She unconsciously moved back until her back pressed against the wall, her eyes trained on the door. Sweat streamed down Sakura's face, and she gripped Wrath more tightly despite her clammy and shaking hands. She hoped the intruder was merely Naruto or Kakashi, checking up on her after an early morning walk. She heard a crash from in the hall then the footsteps broke into a run and someone slid the door back.

"It's nice to meet you, Sakura-chan," said the person at the door with a friendly smile.

It was a boy her age. Sakura gasped, judging by the deep slash in his headband that he was a missing ninja from Rain village. A moment later Sakura connected his face with the one on the stat sheet from The Game and remembered his name, Tokito Hasumi. His eyes and hair reminded her of Sasuke, being a dark black. Hasumi let his hair grow longer, with a streak of white running through his bangs. The thing most noticeable about him and what caught and kept her stare was his missing left arm, cut off at the shoulder.

"Tokito Hasumi…" Sakura whispered, moving into a more defensive fighting stance.

"_**You're going to die,"**_said Wrath cheerfully.

Sakura ignored him, or tried to. Trying to remain ignorant of her peril was like ignoring the law of gravity, like trying to pretend that what was real was merely an illusion. Hasumi's presence put her in some real deep shit.

He smirked at her as her eyes flickered across Hasumi's body, noting the multitude of weapons and the easy way he stood, ready and relaxed. She knew that one of the weapons was the Grizzly Game's weapon but she couldn't pin point it.

Shit, she couldn't survive this. In the absence of hope a spark of anger lit, the same spark felt so often during the past two days. As it did Sakura leaned forward into her stance and bared her teeth in a feral smile.

Hasumi held up his hands, "Hey, I'm not here to fight, although it would be incredibly easy to win and take your dagger right here," he said and despite the condescending tone he seemed to speak the truth.

Sakura's eyes narrowed, expecting a trap.

"What do you want?" without meaning, she spoke with Wrath's drawl.

Hasumi's smirk widened, "I want to make a deal."

"A deal?" Sakura answered, "What kind of deal?"

Sakura remained suspicious. This was the second deal offered to her and so far they only made her sick of being in a position where they forced her to decide between two evils. It seemed her only choice in this Game, and ninja life as a whole, was kill or be killed. She hated it and the wish that she never joined the academy flashed through her mind before she quickly abandoned it. What's done is done.

"We both know you're the weakest one in this Game," he paused as Sakura sneered at him, "You know it's true. Unfortunately all the other players are around my level. If I went looking for the other players on my own I would, at the most, get two of the daggers."

Hasumi started to draw nearer to Sakura who regarded him with a level glance. His face lit up with a smile.

"If I use you as bait…I can get five," he finished.

A jolt of shock pierced Sakura to the core, "I'm bait?"

"You, Sakura-chan are only bait to draw the others near like a wriggling worm on a hook," he said stepping closer to her.

Sakura's hands dug into the wall behind her as she considered her choices; if she paired up with him and became bait then her chances of survival were so much higher. But no one ever cared if the bait lived or died. And she would bet anything that Hasumi didn't care about her life.

"You want to make a deal with me to kill the five other players," she said disbelievingly.

"_**This guy must be really weak to need your help," **_Wrath commented condescendingly.

'Shut up Wrath, you're not making the situation any better,' Sakura snapped at him.

"_**I don't see any reason to be helpful; you haven't agreed to my deal so why should I try and keep you alive? It doesn't matter whether I make the deal with you or the guy who kills you,"**_he replied disinterestedly.

'Then why not just kill me and get it over with?' she asked, suddenly feeling very numb.

Wrath didn't answer and Sakura's hopes at ever surviving The Game continued to sink.

During Sakura's internal dialogue, Hasumi's smirk grew wider and he stopped a foot from her. Her peril brought her back into the real world and her heart started to beat faster as he leaned toward her. She knew that she should move and put distance between them, but her body felt sluggish and even blinking seemed an impossible task.

"You got it," he whispered into her ear, answering her earlier question.

Sakura's eyes widened and she blushed, feeling both repulsed and attracted to the feeling of his breath on her neck.

Hasumi grinned and put his hand on the wall next to her head.

"You see, you have no other choice. If you don't agree, I can kill you now and take your dagger instead," he said, leaning in close to her.

His offer wasn't fair; Sakura had hoped she could get through The Game on her own without relying on someone. Now he gave her no choice, his ultimatum was to depend on his help or die by his hands. But she knew that as she was now, without help she'd never be able to protect herself and any of the players could take her dagger and sentence her to a life without a soul.

"Why did you trash my house?" she asked, buying time but failing to keep a quiver out of her voice.

Hasumi shrugged, "It wasn't me. I've already sensed another player around here. You're lucky I got here before he did, or you'd be dead meat right now."

Sakura stiffened her face going white. She hadn't considered that more than one player could already be in Konoha. The marginally happy mood she had managed earlier that day seemed a lifetime away as she began to accept how hopeless her situation was.

"So, what's your answer? I'm still waiting," he said, crossing his arms.

Sakura's choices were few, live or die. Yes or no. No matter the cost, no matter the fact that she would be placing her life in the hands of a complete stranger she could never trust, the choice was simple.

"Yes," she whispered.

Hasumi's face lit up in a large grin and the slight tension Sakura hadn't realized he was carrying disappeared.

She slumped as he placed his arm around her shoulders. This seemed a lot like defeat, his arm like a prison of iron. What if he was lying to her? That he only wanted to use her until her got everyone else's dagger then at the end of The Game killed her for hers? She didn't have a choice but to trust that he would keep his word. She could try to escape from him but it seemed impossible.

At this rate she would never become strong enough to stand on her own much less take part in The Game. But how could you live if you were soulless? She never read or heard anything about being able to take another person's soul, much less living without one. She was sure that a life without a soul would be much worse than one spent relying on others. Maybe she could become stronger on her own. She could train more and advance on her own. But the idea was bittersweet; without The Game she wouldn't need to get stronger.

"Okay! So where am I sleeping?" he asked happily.

"What?" Sakura's head shot up and she stumbled out of his grasp, "Sleep here? I didn't say you could sleep here!"

"Well, where else could I go? I'm not exactly supposed to be here and besides how could I monitor your movements without always being in the same room as you?" he said simply.

"But… but I really can't…" Sakura trailed off.

Her rational mind knew he said the truth; without him always being next to her, he couldn't protect or monitor her safety (assuming he really did need her until he caught all the players). The shy, distrusting part of her thought of him sleeping in the same room as her with a resolute 'never'. Sure he forced her to trust him with her life but she couldn't do the same with her innocence.

Her mother and Ino had told her stories about evil men who took advantage of girls like her. The men in those stories were described as old and ugly, men who typically stood out as creeps. Hasumi didn't look like one of them. She actually thought Hasumi was handsome, his dangerous aura only increasing his appeal. He probably wouldn't even think of doing things to her in that way. And if he did have those thoughts there wasn't anything Sakura could do.

"You can sleep on the futon," she said finally, nodding to the neatly made futon in the corner of the room, "I'll get some blankets and sleep on the floor."

"Great!" Hasumi exclaimed, immediately plopping onto the futon, "I'm beat."

Sakura eyed him warily as he kicked his shoes off and wriggled into the bed cover. He glanced at her and she saw a wicked glint in his eye. Without thinking she took a step back from him.

"Want to give me some warm milk and tuck me in Sakura-chan?" he said, his eyes widening in feigned innocence.

"No way!" Sakura shouted, feeling her face flush as she broke from her reverie.

She swung around and strode out the room, fuming at his familiarity with her.

"Wait no goodnight kiss?" Hasumi yelled after her, holding back laughter

**Okay so I added a lot to this part and I'm splitting chapter two up because it's just so long. This means that I took down the rest of my chapters so I can add a few. I'll try to get up the edited versions up as soon as possible. **

**Be patient with me!**

**Zesty**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the long wait. I think I've answered all the reviews here...**

**LittleFoxDemon: Thank you! And you won't have to wait long for the other sins. **

**Uchiha-Aki: Chemistry exams suck. I hope you did well even if this distracted you. Sorry about the late and short update last time. Did I do better this time?**

**VALLED: Thanks and sorry for the cliffie, I actually hate doing them because I know that I won't update in forever and everyone forgets where the last chapter ended anyway. **

**kitten652: Heh, thank you. I thought he would be good choice, better than the over used Anko another sensei or something. Thank you! I love this story too. **

**Darksakudragon: Thanks! Okay, I'll update instead of playing modern warfare…. **

**Rosepuppy: Thank you! And I will. **

**-carsly-: Haha, I'm very happy. If my story is worth that much to you, then I'm pretty damn happy. Lol. But what if I was someone else? Someone who completely ruined Sakura's initial personality? You should be happy too ^^**

**alwaysblossom01: Mm, sorry. I should have made that chapter longer, eh?**

**LarkasBlessing122291: Thank you and sorry for killing Diesuke off just as I introduced him :P. I'll tell you his sin eventually but it's really not that big of a deal. Sorry for the cliffhanger; I wanted to spend time on the fight scene to make it really interesting and that would have meant another week or so of waiting.**

**x l a z y p s y c h o: Eh, sorry, boring chapters are what they are. Mm, it could also be because of the decreasing length '**

**AnnoCat: It feels short cause it was short. And I don't mind that you guys are demanding… it's nice really and my personality needs it. I'm so lazy it's crazy. I understand and I'm a bit disappointed that I decided to take the unedited story down as well but it was only because I'm splitting chapter two into different updates and to do so I had to take the story down. Please be patient as I edit, hopefully the beginning chapters will be more exciting.**

**Miss Chocolat: haha, I'm so sorry. But hopefully this chapter will be better; I have a lot of free time AND I finally got a beta. Wow, a new xbox. I almost broke mine the other day. Scariest moment of my life. Lol. Yeah, LFD2 is great although it seems that people aren't as talkative on it. Only a few times did I actually have fun with the other players. Thank you for the support! (Lmao, orange zest?)**

**Siah Yasana: Thank you!**

**: Oh, thank you. I'm trying hard to **

**Edwardlova12: It's really not that hard ^^. I only had to write it once, copy it, and just add to it with every chapter. And I completely understand about the huge alert list. I usually don't even read most stories on my alert because I get bored with them. I'm glad you haven't gotten bored! Thank you!**

**Luka1Sakura: Oh, she has? I didn't notice… heh. Thank you! Yeah I've been editing almost continuously. I hope you like the changes though I'm not sure how drastic they'll be.**

**moor123: Thanks ^^. **

**-SmilingArtist-: Thank you! And yeah, there probably will be more NejixSaku moments; But nothing big until my sequel. ;P**

**Fornever Tash: Thank you! I love Hasumi too but that's only because I created him ^^. And there's actually a reason for making him so likable and the relationship between him and Sakura strong; you're not going to like it as well. I'm getting ahead of myself though. Thanks about Yamato, I almost picked one of the background jounin no one really knew about but then realized that Yamato would make a good teacher. I miss Sasuke and Naruto sooo much as well (also a story line to follow; making up everything is MUCH harder). **

**Chained2love: Sorry for the cliffy, I couldn't help but stop there. Ah, and sorry for making you wait for so long. I'm a perfectionist. I want the cookie now though ^^**

**YoH KiRi: Mm, the grandmother never dies but she does end up feeling really really bad and going into a sort of depression. Thank you! You should re-re-read it because it's even better now. Yeah, I figured most people would think the same as you. I had conflicting emotions about posting the note. It was either get my readers hopes up or leave them hanging… **

**Aimiera: Neji will defiantly see the power of hard work and I'll have Sakura do her best to kick his ass. **

**WithGraceWeFall: You're right about Neji but I've kinda got a 'Neji arc' going and until its finished I don't want to add anymore distracts or else the story will become too cluttered and confusing. I'll re-introduce Gaara again and add some other relationships in once the Neji arc is over. Whats funny is that I planned a shopping date in my plot map. :p small world. **

**AkaEyes: Thank you!**

**Suicidally.'-'.Boring: Thanks! I love Hasumi too! The reason he can't actually be in Naruto is because he's MINE. No way am I giving him up. **

**Punk_rocker_Rissa: Thanks! I'd never stop writing this story. **

**LindaChicana: Sorry! Yeah, I've seen the 'author's note' in other stories and it's always a bad sign. So I felt bad but I wanted everyone to be informed on the progress of the story as you guys are like my muse; without your reviews this story would be left at chapter one. Thanks, I'm going to need the luck. Thank you! Part of the reason while I'll never stop writing this is because of everyone who reads and likes the story. I can't let you or myself down by not finishing, no matter how little time I have to do everything.**

**Gaabi: Thanks! The reason I've spent so much time changing her character is because I absolutely hate how she is portrayed in Naruto. Something about the original 'Sakura'seems to be a bit flat. **

**Ah: Yep, you're pretty much right. But I only got the idea of the seven sins as people from FMA, I didn't use the philosophers stone idea. Thanks. **

**Angel1897: Thank you! And Sakura might develop something with Itachi. It all depends on how I take the story after the time skip. **

**sachiko haruki: Thanks!**

**Ilovedeidei: Thank you. I haven't decided on a romantic interest for Sakura but Hasumi is defiantly among the top.**

**Nayuta: Thank you!**

**Echopraxia: Thanks, I will keep writing this story until its conclusion (whenever that may be). I'm glad you like it.**

**: I understand your need for good grammar in stories and honestly before just recently I never cared if my grammar was correct or not. I've had a beta look at the first two chapters but the rest aren't revised and I could care less if you think the grammar in those suck because I wrote them so long ago. Thank you for being honest.**

**Kotone111: Thank you! I'm actually not paying for college because I'm doing a dual credit program called running start. I hope you can be patient with me while I edit this story up standard.**

**Marc: Thank you, I try my best to make Sakura more mature.**

**Georgeofthecity: Thank you!**

**angel897: Thank you, I'll update as soon as possible. And sorry about the revisions, I'm kinda a perfectionist…**

**Shana the Short: Thank you, I sort of took a break for a few months during school but now I have much more time! Umm… Sakura's parents will still die but I think I'll make that scene a bit better, sorry.**

**Xladykittyx: Thank you, I'll do my best on the updates.**

**stargazing-sweetie: Ah I'm sorry! I'll try to get the chapters out as soon as I can. I feel so bad now because I like to reread too! . maybe this way I'll edit faster.**

**gemaima11: Hi, thank you. No, the story is not finished yet. And I'm expecting to write a sequel so… it'll be awhile.**

**Natalie: Yes, here is the update, sorry it took so long.**

At Hasumi's insistence, she had slept in the same room for safety. Sakura salvaged an extra blanket and she settled down across the room from where he lay in her pad. She couldn't relax as she tried to sleep, her breath sounding too loud; she couldn't hear anything over it, not even the sound of Hasumi breathing. She tried to control it but gave up once Hasumi started to snore lightly. Watching the rhythmic rise and fall of his back, she strained to hear any slight sound that might alert her to an intruder. She spent a few hours alternately tensing up whenever Hasumi shifted and worrying about the other player. She wondered who it was. Blinking back exhaustion, she realized it didn't really matter as any one of the players could kill her easily. Hopefully Hasumi would protect her; it was her only hope of surviving.

She curled into a tight ball. Why did she always need to be protected?

"**You spent your time in the academy watching Sasuke, instead of training. Of course you're weak," **Wrath answered for her, condescending as always.

Sakura shuddered briefly at the thought of Wrath accessing all her memories. She wasn't proud of a good number of them and she didn't want anyone knowing how pitiful she was, especially Wrath. It's wasn't fair! Sakura hated being considered weak! Kakashi should help her more. Sasuke shouldn't just brush her off! She needed help! She felt tears at the corner of her eyes and wrung the blanket to keep from crying.

"**Be quiet!" **Wrath cut in harshly, making Sakura flinch in surprise,** "Your whining is getting on my nerves. Complaining about how utterly weak you are doesn't accomplish anything. If you want to become stronger you have to do it yourself." **

Sakura hiccupped, and fought back tears as she thought of what he said. What did he know? She worked hard to become a genin! She received nearly perfect marks on her tests and… she couldn't remember anything else she was good at besides books. Not once could she remember training on her own to get better. Sure, she did the academics part of becoming a ninja but beyond in class lessons she never worked out or practiced any techniques. His words struck true.

She sighed and turned on her back, feeling weak from crying. She resolved that from tomorrow on things would be different. She just had to take her goal to become a ninja seriously. She would die if she didn't.

Finally she managed to drift off to sleep because she felt so exhausted she couldn't stay awake any longer.

Sakura managed to wake up on time, though groggily, and spent half of the next day running errands while Hasumi tracked her in case the other player attacked. As she walked she kept looking to the roof tops, trying to see Hasumi. She wondered if he hid himself well enough, if a player or the Anbu could sense him. Would hiding a missing ninja be considered treason? If Konoha found out, what would they do to Sakura? She tried to put it from her mind as she barely managed to get all her errands done before meeting with team seven.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled, his exuberance making Sakura want to pound her head into the wall next to her.

Sakura half heartedly responded to Naruto's greeting, "Yeah… good morning."

"Sasuke won't help me fill out my application!" he whined, "He's such a bastard!"

She sighed and took the paper, "What's wrong Naruto?"

She quickly helped him with a few complicated kanji and gave the paper back.

Naruto glanced at it and grinned, "You're the best Sakura!"

"Let's get moving," she said, ignoring him, "We shouldn't be late."

They were walking into the exam building when Sakura noticed Sasuke shooting her glances when he thought she wasn't looking. It seemed a little ironic to her that one of the things she actually disliked about him would help her now. She knew he noticed that she wasn't acting normal today but because he didn't like starting up a conversation he wouldn't say anything to her.

They were approaching a large group of people crowded around the room '301'. Sakura had almost reached the room when she realized the room across from this one was labeled '202', not '302' like it should have been. It was a genjutsu. She glanced around and quietly whispered, 'release'. The room number changed to '201'.

Two boys guarded the room's door, blocking the crowd's entrance. One glanced at her as her team approached.

"Hah! You plan to take the Chuunin exams with that? You should just quit now!" he yelled condescendingly.

Sakura flinched before realizing the he wasn't looking at her any longer but to a group of three in front of the crowd, a girl with brown hair cowering on the floor, a boy dressed in a green jumpsuit standing behind her, and another boy with long brown hair standing to one side with an uncaring look on his face.

He continued to speak, "You're just a little kid."

"Yeah, yeah," agreed the boy next to him.

"Please let us through," the girl whimpered quietly.

When Sakura saw the bruise blossoming on her face she froze in shock. Was the girl being bullied? She gritted her teeth when she saw similar bruises on one of the boys. The scene reminded her of when Ami and her crowd had bullied Sakura when she was younger. Sakura remembered staring up into a little girl's sneering face and cowering pathetically in a circle of laughing girls. She had to force herself to remain where she stood instead of barging into the crowd. She had bigger things to deal with making up for her past.

"Horrible..." said one of people in the crowd.

"The chuunin exam, isn't easy, even we have failed it three times straight. Those that take the exam and end up quitting as shinobi, those that have died during the exam, we've seen it all," one of the boys by the door said, sneering.

Just seeing the smug looks on the bully's faces made Sakura's blood boil and she clenched her fists as she and her team approached She started to imagine the ways she could wipe the looks off their faces such as plunging a kunai into their chests or pummeling them with punches until they begged for mercy.

"**Do it," **Wrath purred seductively, **"Imagine how good their blood would feel on your hands."**

Sakura vacillated between the urge to maim and destroy and her revulsion. How could she even think of something like that? The kids were from Konoha! Fortunately the second boy distracted her from her morbid thoughts as he spoke.

"And Chuunins often become captains of military teams. The failure of a mission, the death of a comrade those are the captain's responsibility. Yet kids like you can think you can pass?" the boy continued, completely oblivious to Sakura's internal struggle.

Sakura frowned, her anger momentarily forgotten, how did kids, who should have basically the same experience as they did, have such thorough knowledge of a chuunin's responsibility? Something wasn't right.

"We are just thinning out those who would fail anyway, what's wrong with that?" the other boy said, shrugging.

"I agree," Sasuke had taken it upon himself to act the hero, "but you will let us through. And you will remove this surrounding created by genjutsu. I'm going to the third floor."

He walked past the group, Sakura and Naruto following obediently behind. Sakura felt a little glad that he Sasuke had acted when he did; another word out of the bully's mouths and she would have lost her control.

"Ah, so you noticed…" said a bully.

Sakura glanced back in time to notice the beaten boy's surprise at Sasuke's comment. But there was no confusion on his he already knew about the genjutsu, Sakura thought, but why hold up the gimmick then?

"Sakura," murmured Sasuke.

Sakura swung around to stare at Sasuke, he was talking to her! Directly! She tried to calm herself, fighting down the urge to adjust her hair.

"You noticed first right?" he continued.

"Huh?" she asked.

He couldn't be talking about the genjutsu? Of course she noticed but so did he. Why was he giving her the credit? Sakura felt a surge of anger, she didn't need his pity!

"Your analytical ability and genjutsu know how are most improved on our team," he complimented with a proud smirk.

Sakura bit down a retort. What did she have to be proud of? Genjutsu know how? She didn't even know a single genjutsu!

She sighed and went along with him so he wouldn't look stupid, "Of course, I noticed awhile ago because this is the second floor."

"Not bad, but all you did was see through it!" one of the bullies yelled before shooting forward and lashing out at Sasuke with a kick.

Sasuke smirked and met the kick with one of his own. Sakura knew he was looking forward to the fight so she stepped back, planning to stay out of it. She felt slightly annoyed at Sasuke's ability for getting in these situations. To both boys' disappointment and surprise, their attacks were stopped by a green blur.

Sakura raised her eyebrows, amazed at his speed, which easily rivaled Hasumi's. He had been able to spot both kicks and slide himself in between. This was no ordinary, helpless genin like he had pretended to be. She felt envy at his obvious talent, wondering how they could be the same rank but be so far apart in skill.

Thinking of Hasumi, she wondered where he had hidden himself in the building. She glanced down the hall. There was no way he could hide in such a bare space. Or could he? She began to wonder if he knew a jutsu that could turn him invisible and was standing at her shoulder now. She shuddered, chills running down her spine. She jumped as she felt a breath of hot air blow across her neck. She spun but saw only a bare hall.

"Hey, what happened to the plan… you're the one who said we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves." said the boy's teammate, the boy with long brown hair. Sakura got a closer look at him and noticed he had white eyes. She knew that one of the main clans in Konoha possessed the white eyed trait but she couldn't remember which one. Knowing about any clan but the Uchiha's hadn't seemed important to her before.

"Well," The boy in green looked crosswise at Sakura, blushing.

Sakura ignored him deciding not to dwell on why the boy felt the need to blush.

"Oh god…" said the girl with twin buns.

Sakura noticed their injuries from the previous fight had disappeared. She was distracted from analyzing further when the green clad boy strode up to her.

She started to back away but he grabbed her hands and started to speak before she could escape.

"Hi. My name is Rock Lee, so yours is Sakura…" he said.

Sakura frowned, trying to wrench her hands out of his grip. She used all the force she could muster, but to her chagrin Rock Lee remained unaffected.

"Let's go out together! I'll protect you till I die!" Rock Lee announced with a wide grin and a thumbs up.

Sakura grimaced. She let herself actually consider it as it was the first time a boy ever asked her out. Lee didn't look too bad but his bowl cut hairdo, bushy eyebrows, and wide eyes immediately repelled her. The old Sakura would have shot him down without mercy. No, she couldn't handle a boyfriend with everything else going on and besides, Lee wasn't exactly boyfriend material.

Even if she liked him, Lee probably couldn't protect her, not with the people who were after her. She couldn't involve him.

Sasuke turned his attention to the two, his face creased slight in irritation. Naruto cracked his knuckles and growled lowly. What now? Did they think that they had to protect her from everyone who approached her?

Hoping her teammates wouldn't interfere, Sakura awkwardly replied to Lee, "Uh, sorry… I'm not looking into dating right now."

**YOU'RE LAME! **Inner Sakura screamed.

Sakura mentally agreed, but in not such a viscous way.

Lee's shoulders slumped dejectedly, Sasuke turned away and stopped paying attention, and Naruto chuckled weakly to see someone else shot down for a change.

Sakura, added, "I don't even know you."

Lee seemed to take this as a maybe and straightened up, letting go of her hands, "Alright! Then I shall spend time acquainting myself with you!"

"Hey you," the white-eyed boy called, pointed to Sasuke, before Sakura could respond, "What's your name?"

Sasuke, came up with an egotistical answer, "When asking someone's name you give yours first."

Sakura frowned at the rude answer. When Sasuke had asked that same question of Gaara, the sand ninja, Gaara hadn't acted like an arrogant jerk! Sakura asked herself if she really loved Sasuke. She thought she did. But had she been completely blind to how full of himself he was? Maybe she should try to understand his flaws as well as his perfections.

"You're a rookie right? How old are you?" the white eyed boy asked, ignoring what Sasuke said.

Before Wrath or the Grizzly game happened Sakura would have cheered Sasuke on while immediately hating both Lee and the white eyed boy because they had challenged Sasuke. Sakura had believed Sasuke was the best ninja in the world, or at least he would be. Now she was discovering that compared to Hasumi, Sasuke was nothing.

So instead of taking her place at Sasuke's shoulder, she turned to walk up the stairs behind them, fuming.

She reached the landing before her irritation settled enough for her to yell down at the boys, "Let's just go already!"

"Sakura wait up!" Naruto called as the two caught up with her.

She paused and turned to look at them. Naruto smiled at her while Sasuke glowered and stalked past her to take the lead. She rolled her eyes and walked next to Naruto instead of competing for the front. They went only a little further when a familiar voice stopped them.

"Hey, guy with the dark eyes," said Lee, standing on a floor above them which he probably jumped to make a greater impact.

Sakura groaned as once again, someone was calling Sasuke out.

She barely listened to the ensuing fight, instead thinking how stupid boys could be. What was the point of fighting someone before the exam even started? If they didn't get going soon they would be late and Sasuke would be worn out from the fight.

"Stupid, stupid," Sakura mumbled to herself.

Lee jumped from the floor above them. Sakura noticed that he landed lighter than she would have. She examined Lee as he pointed at Sasuke, noting how he centered his weight firmly between his spread legs to offer better balance and reaction, a clear indication of a taijutsu user. His advanced knowledge of taijutsu became more apparent as he slipped into an offensive position. She saw a blush coat his cheeks and Sakura wondered why before realizing that he was looking at her and seen her studying him.

His blush increased as he winked at her. Sakura thought briefly that if one thing, Lee knew how to get his point across. Then she grew annoyed and affronted and sneered at him without meaning to. She winced, realizing she had thought as the old Sakura would and regretted the sneer.

"**I know that look," **Wrath said teased, **"He wants to take you home and let you raise his little ninja babies with matching bowl cuts. Ninja don't bother with love, we die too quickly."**

She decided then that Wrath was right and she needed to stop chasing after Sasuke. She thought she still might love him but love could fade, with time. A pang of remorse went through her as she thought of the all the effort she put into loving and trying to be with Sasuke.

"You are an angel!" Lee yelled, blowing Sakura a kiss and interrupting her train of thought.

Sakura glared hotly at him and ignored what was supposed to be a compliment.

"You're annoying. Leave me alone," she spat, turning from him and crossing her arms over her chest.

Lee paled and said, "That was harsh."

"Challenging me, knowing the Uchiha name… frankly you're a fool. You're about to learn what the name means, thick brows," Sasuke cut in, apparently tired of not being the center of attention.

"Please," Lee replied his voice even despite the eyebrow comment.

"Urgh… just stop! Both of you!" Sakura yelled, surprising the three boys.

"S-sakura?" Lee stuttered.

Sasuke sent her an annoyed glance, but Sakura was sick of being ignored and treated like a weakling. She wasn't just going to sit by and watch something she thought stupid. She wouldn't be an ornament on the sidelines, saying and doing nothing. From now on if she wanted to say something, she would.

She turned to Sasuke, "Do what you want, but I'm not waiting around for you to settle your petty need to prove yourself."

With that, Sakura turned on her heel and stormed down the hall.

When she reached room '301', she saw Kakashi waiting next to the door, reading his book. He glanced up when he heard her, his eyebrow rising in surprise, probably because she was alone.

"Where are Sasuke and Naruto?" he asked benignly before returning his attention to the book.

She frowned, "Sasuke felt the need to show off and Naruto's being jealous."

Kakashi's eyebrows rose and he shifted his eyes from his book, giving her a penetrating gaze. Sakura shifted uncomfortably as the silence stretched on and found that she couldn't meet his gaze. Her conscious gnawed her, telling her that she needed to let Kakashi know about the game and the missing ninja following her around town. She bit her lip and stiffened her resolve to not tell him. It was her problem and she couldn't just go crying to her sensei.

"…I'm glad you came," he said softly.

Sakura glanced at him, "Why wouldn't I?"

He shrugged, "Well, you seemed as if you weren't going to come. And… if you hadn't Sasuke and Naruto wouldn't have been able to proceed."

"Huh? What the hell do you mean?" she asked roughly.

"Well, the Chuunin exams are taken in groups of three. If you hadn't shown up…" he explained, his attention apparently solely on the book.

Sakura looked at the ground, for once irritated at his laid back attitude. She slowly leaned against the wall. So her team needed her. If she had decided to opt out in favor of The Game she would have ruined Naruto and Sasuke's chances of becoming chuunin. She felt a surge of relief at her choice. They were teammates and though she couldn't tell them about The Game, they stuck together no matter what. Suddenly guilt ate at her gut like acid and she grimaced.

"I almost didn't come," she said softly and bitterly, "I'm a fucking idiot sometimes."

"Hmm…?" Kakashi murmured.

Sakura slid to the ground, putting her head in her hands.

"Sensei… I need to get stronger," she said, "I can't keep my team back any longer."

Right now Sakura would have liked nothing less than to be as strong as Hasumi. So she could stand on her own without relying on other people. So that when the time came she could do her part and support her teammates.

She glanced up at him and saw his searching look from before, seeing confusion in his eye. He frowned and let the silence stretch for several minutes before simply saying, "Alright."

Sakura nodded slightly and closed her eyes, feeling the dagger on her hip. There was always that option. Though she owed her every possible strength to her team she still couldn't make the deal with Wrath. He and the prospect of killing this unknown man in the future scared her too much. Perhaps if a time came when she could get something else but power from the bargain she would agree to it.

Kakashi cleared his throat, "Well, since we know the other two will be here shortly, why don't you head on in. There's no point in waiting out in the hall."

Sakura paused, thinking of her teammates still held up with Lee. Maybe she should go back in case something happened. But then she remembered the reason why they were fighting. She nodded at Kakashi and swiftly rose from the floor. Before she pushed the classroom doors open she glanced back at her lanky sensei.

"Thanks, Kakashi," she said with a small smile.

Kakashi scratched the back of his gray head, "No problem."

**One more update and the previous chapter two is done. So would you guys like me to repost all the chapters unedited and edit them one by one or wait and post them edited as I finish them? **

**Thank you for waiting! **

**Zesty**


	4. Chapter 4

**Because so many reviewers would rather read the edited version of this, I'll finish editing before posting. I warn you though, it will take some time. I'm open to suggestions. **

Sakura's good mood from her talk with Kakashi vanished as soon as she glanced around the classroom and realized how far in above her head she was. Everyone in this room looked much stronger than she was. In her shock, Sakura neglected to close the heavy door behind her and it slammed with the force of its swing. At the sound every eye in the room focused on her and all conversation ceased. She could almost feel the killing intent as it swirled around her like a heavy mist. Sakura froze under its weight and she felt like the mist made the air too heavy to breathe. Fortunately a familiar voice gave a Sakura a way to break from the tension.

"Eh, it's the forehead," said Ino, sounding surprised.

Sakura glanced around at Ino's voice, spotting her on one side of the room. Her knees went weak with relief at the sight of a friendly face. Quickly, to hide her moment of weakness, she put on a small smirk and walked closer.

"Hey pig-chan," she greeted amiably as she reached the blond haired girl.

Sakura's eyes swept over Ino's teammates. On Ino's left was a boy with brown hair tied in a ponytail who stood in a perpetual slouch. He was Shikamaru who was crazy smart, even more so than her, even if he did act lazy. The other side was Chouji, a larger boy who used a headband to cover his hair while leaving two tufts of hair protruding out of the sides. She hadn't gotten to know him well in the academy but he'd seemed pretty nice, if a bit loud.

"Hey Shikamaru-san, Chouji-san," she said politely, nodding at them.

Both boys seemed slightly surprised when she greeted them, since she had pretty much ignored them in the academy.

"Where is Sasuke?" Ino demanded, glancing at the door anxiously.

Sakura frowned at Ino's obvious disinterest in anyone other than Sasuke and replied icily, "They'll be here."

Ino gave a gleeful squeal, "I can't wait! I haven't seen Sasuke in so long!"

Shikamaru groaned, "Why is that guy so popular anyway?"

"Because he's hot and in love with himself," Sakura said without thinking.

Ino gaped at her making Sakura realize what she had said. Did she really think of Sasuke that way? No, not really. It was just that he could be so full of himself and he kept making her angry. She turned her attention to the other genin in the room, trying to ignore the incredulous looks Ino's team shot at her.

"Weren't you his number one fan girl just a little while ago?" Chouji remarked around a mouthful of ever present snacks.

Sakura glanced at him, frowning, "I don't know. He just makes me so angry sometimes."

"Girls are weird," Shikamaru said, shoving his hands in his pockets and slumping against the wall.

Sakura heard the doors open at turned at the sound of Kiba's boisterous shout, "Hey, Sakura-san! Where's Naruto?"

Kiba bounded up to them, his dog Akamaru sprawled on his head. She knew that Kiba, along with Chouji, had helped Naruto pull off some of his more complicated pranks, but beside that he was basically a stranger. His teammates, Hinata and Shino, walked a little ways behind him. Hinata's white eyes were the most striking thing about her, indicating she was a member of the powerful Hyuuga clan. Sakura didn't sense any power from her though because she didn't speak a lot and was too shy to assert herself in the classroom. Shino never spoke either but it wasn't from a lack of confidence. With his black glasses and the tan trench coat he wore Sakura thought he was more mysterious than shy.

Sakura sighed heavily, annoyed that Kiba was only interested her teammate and not her, and glared at him, "He'll be here."

"Hi Sakura-san," Hinata said shyly, not looking up from the ground.

Sakura gave the other girl a small smile, she had always liked Hinata even though they never talked, before turning to greet Shino.

"Hmmm, you seem different Sakura-san," It was Shino who spoke up.

Sakura's eyes widened as she glanced over at him, trying to read his expression. Was Shino just overly perceptive or was she that bad at hiding her emotions? Then she realized she how tightly she was gripping the hilt of the dagger at her waist. She let her hand drop and relaxed her muscles before rest the genin from the academy had noticed as well. Her eyes widened in realization that maybe Shino was taking about her obsession with the dagger and how normally, she'd be pretty much unaware of her surroundings.

"A lot has happened," she said simply, hoping he wouldn't say anything more.

Naruto's arrival saved her from further examination.

He yelled, "Sakura-chan! Why did you leave?"

"Ah, Sasuke-kun!" Ino shot forward, draping herself around Sakura's silent teammate who followed shortly behind Naruto.

When he did nothing to shrug her off, Sakura felt a flare of jealousy before she could remind herself it shouldn't matter to her what Sasuke did with other girls. She needed to let him go completely. Despite her resolve she couldn't help looking away awkwardly from Ino clinging to Sasuke's arm.

As the rest of the rookie nine argued amongst themselves, Sakura turned her attention to the rest of the room, trying to spot any of the faces from The Grizzly Game dossier. Of course, the player could have just transformed himself for the test making visual scans pointless. Carefully, she spread her awareness over the room to see if she could sense anyone using chakra for a henge. The technique was complicated because of the mass of different chakras in the room but besides sensing a few other chakras casting around, she couldn't spot anyone using that particular jutsu.

Because of her attention on the other participants, she was the first to notice their seething glances toward the group of rookies. The animosity bothered her for a moment then she realized that most of the genin in the room felt extremely nervous for the test and were hiding it behind a tough act.

"You guys should be quieter," a boy said, approaching their group. His white hair hung in a ponytail and glasses hid his eyes. He looked slightly older than them, closer to adult than child.

"You guys are rookies just out of the academy right?" he asked, smirking, "Screaming like schoolgirls…geez. This isn't a picnic."

Sakura frowned, sensing in his stance a confidence not found in most genin. The boy hid it well but something about the way he kept a hand at his kunai pouch alerted Sakura to a talent above the rest. It set her more on edge and she eyed him warily.

"Who do you think you are?" Sakura snapped.

Naruto frowned at her and swung an arm around her neck. "Sakura-chan, don't be so mean."

She ignored him and shrugged his arm off, waiting for the boy's answer.

"I'm Kabuto," he answered placidly, "but instead of that look behind you."

Sakura knew he spoke of the unwanted attention the rookie nine had drawn and didn't bother looking back as the others did. Instead, she examined her teammate's reactions. Naruto paled and let out an incomprehensible sound while Sasuke remained unaffected and returned his attention to Kabuto.

"What does it matter to you?" Sakura asked Kabuto bluntly, trying to determine his reason for speaking to them.

Kabuto merely smiled, holding his hands to his chest, "Touchy, touchy, I'm only trying to help."

It was odd; it seemed to her that more people were willing to offering her their help recently. She knew she should be grateful for it, especially since Kabuto offered his without an ulterior motive. But something in her gut told her to remain on guard.

Sakura icily replied, "Thank you, but I don't want it."

"Those guys directly behind you are from hidden in the rain, they have short tempers; I just wanted to stop a fight." Kabuto explained, indicating a team clad in camouflage behind them.

"Yeah, well I have a shorter temper; get to your point," Sakura growled.

"I just feel slightly sorry for you rookies, you sort of remind me of how I used to be," he said conspiratorially, leaning in closer.

"So…you've been through this exam how many times?" Ino asked, stepping forward, her hand on her hip.

He smirked and said, "This is my seventh time, fourth year."

Sakura raised her eye brows in surprise, four years was a long time for a shinobi. A talented one could rise several ranks, a hopeless one could flounder as Kabuto and his team had. Maybe she had judged his abilities wrong. She didn't even need his help after all.

"So you're saying you've failed this thing six times. What kind of idiot are you?" she mocked.

Kabuto frowned but Naruto saved him from answering.

"Wow! You must know a lot about this exam then!" he yelled, pushing past Sakura.

"Dumbass…" Sakura muttered under her breath.

She was letting her eyes wander again when they caught sight of three familiar faces. It was the sand team, Gaara, Kankuro, and the girl whose name she didn't know. They were in the back, their attentions focus on each other. She was still staring when Gaara suddenly turned and looked at her. Sakura couldn't help but blush when their eyes locked, but a clammy chill replaced the warmth in her face. Something about Gaara reminded her of Hasumi, his eyes showing the same intensity. She didn't know what that intensity signified but she had also seen it in all the more experienced ninja like Kakashi and Zabuza.

"Gaara of the desert and Rock Lee from leaf," Sasuke said, startling Sakura out of her thoughts and drawing her attention back to the other rookies.

"Oh, you already know their names, this should be easy then," Kabuto replied, playing with some cards.

Info cards… chakra laced info cards. It took a lot of control to make info cards like that. Not only did he have to have extreme chakra control but Kabuto would have needed to observe and know of every person participating in the exams. If he was so skilled why hadn't he passed the chuunin exams one of the previous times he had taken? Suddenly Kabuto drew out two of the cards, holding them in front of his face.

"Show me," Sasuke ordered, his attention focused on the cards like a lightning strike to a tree.

Sakura couldn't stop herself from leaning forward in curiosity when the cards were flipped over. The two cards showed both boys' picture but Gaara's information was drastically less than Lee's. The only thing that stuck out to her was that he had been through a 'B' ranked mission and in all of his missions he had returned home without a scratch. How had he managed to avoid injury? Sakura glanced once more to the red head to find that he was still staring at her.

She quickly averted her eyes, unable to meet such an intense stare. As she turned her head she saw Sasuke quickly look away from the sand ninja. So he was keeping an eye on Gaara too. She wondered what he thought of desert ninja's unwavering stare. Did it creep him out as it did her or was Sasuke excited to have the attention of the boy who was possibly the strongest genin in the test?

"So…this test is not going to be easy," Naruto muttered, stepping in between her and Sasuke.

Sakura nodded in agreement, her hand going to Wrath's hilt. She was startled when she felt Naruto start to shake. She smiled sympathetically at him. Maybe he needed a hug or something. Sakura extended a hand.

"Naruto…" she murmured trying to ease his nerves even if she couldn't shake her own.

"My name is Uzamaki Naruto! I won't lose to you bastards!" he burst out, pointing confidently at the group of more experienced genin.

"You got that?" He added for further emphasis.

"Hey, what's wrong with him?" Ino hissed at Sakura, pointing at Naruto's brashly confident form.

Sakura regretted slightly that Naruto had spoken up in such a reckless way, but mostly she felt strangely infected from Naruto's excitement and confidence. She could feel glares at her team from all around and she met them with one of her own, feeling Wrath, heavy at her hip.

Sakura grinned, "That, Ino, is Naruto. Number one knuckle headed ninja in Konoha."

"You won't lose to those bastards, big words," Kiba remarked, grinning widely.

"What a moron, he just turned everyone into his enemy," Shikamaru said with a shake of his head.

"They were already our enemy, Shikamaru," Sakura remarked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Humph, didn't have to draw attention to that fact," he mumbled.

Sakura shrugged and without anything else to say, went to go knock Naruto playfully over the head. For a few moments afterward she felt Shikamaru's curious gaze on her back.

Naruto squawked at Sakura's rough treatment but grinned at her anyway.

Sakura felt a surge in Wrath's energy, like a ninja preparing chakra for a fight. Confused at the reason for the change, she examined the area and noticed someone moving through the crowd. She spun around to face whoever it was.

Three people were bounding through the group, going so fast and so silently that they remained unnoticed by most. As one of the ninja darted through the space between two desks his black eyes locked with hers, freezing her breath in her throat. Before he disappeared into the crowd she saw the glint of metal in his hand. She panicked, thinking that a player was already after her. She wildly searched the room for Hasumi. She couldn't find him. Wasn't he supposed to protect her? She realized she couldn't breathe at the thought of his betrayal. The three were getting closer!

She slowed her chaotic mind and rationalized. There was no way three players could team up, there would only be four extra daggers between them. She focused on the movement. They weren't going for her, but the blur of clothing headed a little to her right. They were going for Kabuto. Sakura shot a glance at the white haired boy. He was looking into the crowd, subtly following the sounds. So he knew already, he'd be fine. She let out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly one of the three shot out of the crowd, jumping into the air to throw two kunai at Kabuto. He jumped to the side, right into the second attacker running out of the crowd straight at him. The sound ninja threw a punch, which Kabuto dodged by leaning back. Watching the ease of Kabuto's movements, Sakura realized he wasn't as useless as he seemed. But then his glasses cracked. He was taking them off when he doubled over, groaning.

"What's going on? He dodged it so why did his glasses…?" Sasuke asked, clearly trying to understand this new attack.

It surprised Sakura that even Sasuke hadn't seen the cause of Kabuto's injury.

"It must have glanced off his nose, that's what you get for being a hotshot," Shikamaru answered.

Sakura frowned, she was sure Kabuto had fully dodged the attack. Kabuto leaned over and retched again, making her wince in sympathy. Judging by the extent of Kabuto's nausea there was something else in that punch.

"He threw up!" Naruto yelled, stating the obvious.

She studied the Sound team. Two of them looked normal, a girl with long brown hair in a vest and cargo pants and a boy in similar attire with spiked brown hair. The third however, looked like a deranged turtle with the cape-like fur on his back and bandages covering most of his face, save for one eye. She really did hate bullies like them. She wanted to punch their faces in and make them beg for redemption.

"**You wanted to act hero," **Wrath suggested almost gleefully,** "Here is your chance."**

Sakura felt her blood burn with an odd sort of rage and threw caution to the wind as she stepped in front of Kabuto, shielding him.

"What the hell is your problem, you assholes?" she snarled at them, half drawing Wrath.

A part of her wondered what the hell she was doing and why she felt so angry over Kabuto's treatment when she didn't even trust or like him. Another part, the stronger one, wanted only to fight and lusted for a chance to draw blood.

"How pathetic, especially because, aren't you a four year veteran?" the animal looking Sound ninja remarked, ignoring Sakura.

Sakura grit her teeth together and held back from hitting him. How dare he ignore her when she worked up her courage to challenge him!

"Write this down on your cards. 'The three Hidden Sounds, definite future chuunins," he continued.

Sakura shifted her weight and grinned sadistically, getting ready to attack.

"Quiet down you worthless bastards!" came a yell near the door.

Sakura frowned, and shifted slightly to see the speaker.

Smoke from what she guessed was a transportation jutsu cleared to reveal a middle-aged man standing in front of a group of younger ninjas. Sakura deduced from the way they stood, confidently but without the aura of barely leased violence that all of them, except the man in the front, were chuunin.

"Thanks for waiting. I am Morino Ibiki, the examiner for the chuunin selection exam's first test," he said, making the group of genin shift nervously.

Ibiki pointed to the back where the rookie nine, Kabuto, and the Sound ninja stood.

"Hidden Sound guys, stop doing as you like before the exam. Do you want to fail already?" he asked thunderously.

"I'm sorry… this is our first time… we got a bit carried away," the animal sound ninja said without a bit of remorse.

Sakura frowned again and slid Wrath back in his sheath. Had she really gotten so close to using the dagger? She never thought she could get so angry with so little provocation. It scared her.

"Bah… here's a good opportunity to say this… there will be no fighting without the permission of the examiner. Even if permission is granted, killing your opponent will not be tolerated," Ibiki warned.

His eyes darkened when he continued, "those pigs that disobey me will be failed immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

Sakura smiled weakly, relieved that there were some restrictions on the exam and no one would be killed. At least she could focus more of her attention on The Game instead of the test.

"We will now start the first test in the chuunin exam. Instead of your current seating arrangements…" Ibiki held up a piece of paper with the number 1 on it, "you will pick one of these tabs and sit in the seat assigned to you. We will then hand out the exams."

Sakura let out a breath in relief, knowing that she could complete this test easily. After all, she was the best in her class in shinobi facts and calculations.

"What? A paper test!" Naruto yelled at her side.

She glanced at him, feeling pity. Naruto completely sucked at written tests. She remembered him getting consecutive zeros on a test he retook four times in the academy. She hoped the test was easy, for his sake.

Sakura went up with the rest of the genin to grab a tab, losing sight of her team in the process. Glancing at the tab, she discovered she was sitting between two ninja she didn't know, an older boy from Leaf and a girl from Rain. Naruto sat in front of her, visibly sweating. Two days ago she would've enjoyed his predicament but now she felt as if she had to protect him. It ate at her that she could do nothing for him but she needed to focus on the test and do the best she could do.

"Do not turn your tests over. Listen closely to what I'm going to say. There are many important rules to this first test. I'll write it on the board while I explain, but questions will not be allowed so listen carefully."

Sakura smiled sardonically, expecting to bite her tongue more than once during his explanation. She leaned forward on her elbows, noting the two next to her doing the same.

"The first rule. You guys will all start off with 10 points. The test is made up of 10 questions, and each is worth a point but… this test uses a subtraction system. Basically if you answer all the questions correctly, you keep your 10 points. But say if you miss three questions… you lose three points and will have seven. The second rule is that this is a team test. Whether you pass or not will be determined by the combined score of your teammates. So each team will compete to see how many points they can hold on to from the initial team total of 30."

So as long as she and Sasuke could get full scores they should be able to pass. Hopefully Naruto could get a few questions right.

"Ok, and now the most important rule. The second rule is that during the exam… anyone caught by the testing officers doing sneaky activities, namely cheating… will have 2 points subtracted for every offense."

What? Why was cheating the most important rule? And why only two points? Usually on tests if you got caught cheating you'd get a zero.

Sakura half listened as Ibiki elaborated on the cheating rules and frowned, only those that got caught cheating would get points deducted. What odd phrasing, what about those that don't get caught?

"And the final rule… those that lose all their initial points during the test and those that don't answer and questions correctly…will be failed along with their two teammates," Ibiki finished.

Sakura realized that if Naruto failed, so would they. She didn't want him to fail, period. But she didn't know what she could do at this point. Sakura sucked in a breath and shot a glance over to Naruto. If she wanted to help him, she would have to … cheat. It went against every moral bone in her body but she would do it if she could figure out a safe way. She groaned, Naruto would make her cheat, the rule breaker he was. Naruto owed her one after this. Ibiki told the genin to begin and the room filled with the sound of rustling paper. Sakura, with one last sympathetic glance at Naruto's shaking form, turned her paper over.

The first question was a cryptogram. Sakura smirked; she actually thought these were pretty fun. She finished it quickly. Okay, next… 'Line B, seen in the picture is the greatest possible distance a shinobi can throw his shuriken from a tree of 7 meters. For enemies who appear within the circumference of the shuriken's range, explain the attack options using this distance. Show your work'.

Sakura frowned, she understood the question but how would any other genin get such a complicated and open-ended question? Very few genin would pass if the entire test was this hard. She shot a glance at the line of examiners; and what were they all for?

She quickly read through the rest of the test. Every single one was difficult for her. There was no way that Naruto, or even Sasuke could answer all these. The only way to pass was to cheat. And from the extensive way they outlined the rules for cheating, they expected them to. It was as if they were testing everyone on their ability in cheating, not their smar-…! Sakura stiffened, that was it! This was a test on a team's ability to gather information! She smiled, relieved that she wouldn't truly be cheating.

"Umm…I'd just like to know one thing, how many teams will pass?" the kid next to her asked, having gotten up and facing Ibiki, shaking slightly.

Ibiki glared at him and said darkly, "Did I not say that questions aren't allowed? The next to break that rule fails. Sit down."

The kid, wide eyed and pale, quickly sat and bowed his head over his paper. Sakura, fearful herself, returned her attention to her own test.

She worked quickly and finished the rest of the questions before facing the most important problem; how could she help Naruto? Sasuke had his sharingan so he could get his answers on his own, but Naruto was a different story. She examined her neighbors subtlety to see if she could spot another cheater and see how they did it.

She saw Gaara first who had rendered an eye from sand. It turned its gaze from paper to paper. She glanced at the examiners. Surely this counted as cheating? Unless only obvious cheating counted as cheating. The next cheater Sakura spotted was the girl on Lee's team who controlled several mirrors suspended from the ceiling. Lee snuck looks at them but Neji didn't move his head from his paper and because she sat several rows back from him she couldn't see if he cheated another way. Sakura glanced at Ino, who sat behind her. She knew Ino's plan, to take hold of someone's mind and steal answers that way. Knowing Ino, she would pick Sakura as her victim.

Sakura couldn't perform any of these techniques. She had no hidden talent of mind control or mirrors hidden under her shirt. What could she do? Use Wrath? He could speak mind to mind but that would only work when Sakura touched the hilt.

She fingered the dagger resting at her hip and suddenly got an idea. But was she up to having Wrath in her head again? Could Wrath even do it? Sakura shook her head, knowing it was the only way; she had no choice.

Slowly, Sakura slid Wrath partially out of its sheath.

'Wrath', she thought, 'Are you able to speak mind to mind to people other than me?'

"_**Of course I can. But I won't help you unless you agree to our little bargain," **_he said smugly.

Sakura froze. She expected him to bring it up but she hadn't thought he would make her agree just for a favor.

'Can't you help without me agreeing?' she whined.

"_**I do not go back on my word!" **_he roared, _**"Either you agree or your friend flounders in his own idiocy!" **_

Was Naruto really worth the death of Wrath's master? He could always try again in a few months. She didn't need make this choice for him. She looked at his shaking form and found that guilt was already eating at her for not making the choice. Naruto was her teammate if she didn't help him now when it was in her capacity to do, she couldn't forgive herself. He would be crushed if he failed.

And she knew in her heart that she would eventually say yes to Wrath's bargain. The power he offered was too great. Why not give in a little early for the benefit of a friend?

'I agree,' she thought quickly before she could change her mind.

She could feel Wrath's smirk, _**"I need you to do one thing to seal our agreement, a drop of your blood."**_

Sakura frowned, but set her finger on Wrath's blade, and after a pause, pushed down. Wrath bit into her finger, deeper than she was expecting. She sucked in a breath and transferred the finger to her mouth, watching the blade. As her blood ran down the edge, it seeped into the red crystal until it disappeared.

She felt a deeper connection with the blade and knew that she didn't have to even touch the dagger for him to invade her mind. He was always with her now, like parasite in her mind. It bothered her but she didn't have time to worry over it now. Naruto needed her help.

"_**It is done. I will cooperate with your plan," **_Wrath said with finality.

Sakura inwardly nodded.

"Hey, I need to go to the bathroom," Sakura said, standing up.

Ibiki glanced at her and gestured to one of the examiners. Sakura walked forward as the selected examiner got up and headed to the door. When Sakura moved along the row in front of her instead, the examiner paused. Ibiki opened his mouth to yell at her. Before he could speak Sakura whirled and slammed the dagger into Naruto's desk, making him yelp in surprise before staring at the red dagger quivering in his paper.

"You better do well, or I'll kill you!" Sakura snarled in an imitation of Gaara's voice.

Naruto gaped at her, his eyes wide and his face the color of a sheet. She scared Naruto as much as the sand ninja's teammates had been. Feeling slightly guilty as she left the dagger there, she walked to the door and the tense examiner where she was handcuffed and led out.

As she walked down the hall she hoped Naruto would make use of her sacrifice and Wrath would keep his promise. She drew out her time in the bathroom stall, trying to give Wrath as much time as she could. Leaning back, she sighed and studied the incision in her thumb. What did her blood mean to Wrath? Could it bind her to him like signing a contract? Or were the ramifications of her decision worse than she thought? Maybe Wrath could control her like a puppet now. She laughed bitterly. It didn't matter, she'd made her choice.

Deciding that she had given Wrath enough time, she exited the stall and went to wash her hands. The mirror showed her usual reflection, pink hair, pale face, despite everything that had happened recently. She adjusted her hair out of habit and left the bathroom.

When she returned to the classroom, Naruto's wide eyed stare followed her through the room. She saw Wrath lying on the edge of Naruto's desk and she cringed. Part of her had hoped he wouldn't touch it. It was too late now. Reaching his desk, she picked the dagger up.

A new thought occurred to Sakura and she paused. Naruto's test was complete and he would achieve a full score but had she just brought him into The Game? She would have to give him some sort of explanation for the dagger. She glanced at him, filled with regret. He mouthed 'what the hell?' to her but she just shook her head and walked away.

When she sat down she realized who was seated next to Naruto. Hinata. Sakura heard tales of the Hyuuga clan's famous byakugan. Was it powerful enough to unravel the dagger's secret? Sakura looked over and saw Hinata looking worriedly at Naruto. The other girl probably didn't know anything but there was only one way to make sure.

'Wrath, how did it go?' she asked.

"_**Naruto is more of an idiot than I thought," **_he said matter of factly before pausing,_** "Do you wish to know more?"**_

'How?' she asked, surprised there was more to know.

"_**I can recount the memory to you as if you lived it. It is a simple matter of tricking your brain," **_he explained slyly.

Her eyes widened at the thought. He could manipulate her brain so easily… What else could he do to her?

'You can do things like that?' she asked fearfully.

"_**Yes, but it does cost me some energy. Well, do you want to see or not?" **_Wrath asked impatiently.

'Show me,' Sakura ordered firmly, eager despite her fear to experience the memory.

"_**Your wish is my command," **_he said sarcastically before Sakura's vision went black.

When she opened her eyes she saw Naruto reaching for the dagger lodged in his desk. When his shaking hands touched the hilt Sakura heard Wrath's voice.

"_**Be quiet or I'll be forced to control your actions and I know Sakura wouldn't appreciate that,"**_ he growled.

Naruto gasped and almost cried out but his mouth shut on its own and no matter how Naruto tried he couldn't pry his lips open. Sakura watched, grimacing, as he struggled.

"_**Fine, I guess we're doing this the hard way," **_Wrath said frustratingly.

Against his will, Naruto's right hand lifted the dagger out of his paper while his left hand picked up the pencil. Naruto's face screwed up in concentration as he tried to fight Wrath's control. He slowly stilled as he saw that his hand was filling out the answers to the test.

'Why are you doing this to me?' Naruto asked, sounding freaked.

Sakura heard Naruto's voice like she heard Wrath's and because Naruto lips remained shut she guessed Naruto had thought this question to Wrath.

"_**I'm helping. Now be quiet," **_Wrath snapped.

As Naruto stared, his left hand wrote all the answers on his paper. Filling them out in his own hand writing. Sakura was surprised Wrath could mimic Naruto's messy hand writing so flawlessly.

'Why are you helping me?' Naruto asked shakily.

"_**Thank Sakura for this. She had to sacrifice a lot to get you to this point…a lot more than she thinks."**_Wrath answered mysteriously.

Sakura's eyes widened and she wondered what he meant. She already knew she would have to kill a man in return for this favor. Was it the blood she used to seal the agreement? What had she done?

She returned her attention to Naruto as she felt his fear through her link with Wrath. He remained silent, his eyes wide, consumed with an inner turmoil. Sakura hoped that Wrath wouldn't do any permanent damage to him.

"_**Enough," **_Wrath said finally.

Suddenly Naruto's right hand relaxed and Naruto slumped in his chair, breathing hard. Hinata, who had watched the whole episode in silent horror, frowned worriedly at him.

"Naruto-kun are you alright?" she mouthed.

Naruto nodded slowly, "I'm fine."

'Sorry Sakura…I'm taking over for a while,' Ino said unapologetically.

Sakura, disorientated at the abrupt change from Wrath's vision, didn't protest. As she began to get her bearings she realized she no longer controlled her body. She didn't put up a fight as Ino memorized her answers, hoping only the Ino wouldn't notice Wrath in the corner of her mind. Her fears proved unfounded as Ino cheekily thanked Sakura and left her body.

Satisfied she had done what she could, Sakura settled in to wait, brushing her finger over the rapidly healing cut on her hand. It ached more than a regular wound should. Trying to put it out of her mind, and set her head on her desk, feeling a headache coming on as she tried to ignore the commotion a genin made as he picked a fight. The examiner finally threw him out in the most embarrassing way he could come up with.

"Ok, we will start the tenth question. Now…before we get to it…I'd like to go over the added rules for this question," Ibiki announced, interrupting Sakura's attempt at a nap.

Kankuro walked back in just then and Ibiki said something Sakura didn't catch that made him tense in surprise. He walked to his desk and Sakura could see the slight twitch of his hand when he reached the girl sand ninja's desk. So… he had slipped her something, most likely the answers. It seemed nearly every team cheated.

"I'll now explain. These are the rules of desperation. First for this tenth question, you must decide whether you will take it or not," Ibiki continued.

"Choose?" yelled the girl sand ninja, "What happens if we choose not to?"

"If you choose not to, your points will be reduced to zero and you fail! Along with your two teammates," after a pause to let the room protest, Ibiki spoke, "And now the other rule."

Sakura groaned and hoped that her sacrifice wouldn't be made in vain because of this surprise rule.

"If you choose to take it and answer incorrectly you will lose the right to ever take the chuunin selection exam again," Ibiki said, grinning.

The room took a collective breath. Sakura's jaw dropped and she tuned out the following argument. She couldn't answer incorrectly, not with this level of questions. But Naruto was another story. If he failed his dreams and the cut on her finger meant nothing. It was all so unfair!

"Now let's begin the tenth question. Those that do not wish to take it, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed, leave," Ibiki ordered severely.

She was smart! It was the one thing she was sure of and could be proud of. Whatever happened, she wouldn't raise her hand, she knew she could answer it. Her pride as a ninja wouldn't let her back down.

As teams slowly trickled out, Sakura watched Naruto intently. She thought back to her time on team seven, Naruto's dream depended on getting this question right. He always acted like a dumbass who only wanted one thing, to be Hokage. He would never raise his hand. If she did it for him… he could never answer the tenth question wrong and they could just take the exam another time. If she lifted her hand for him, she could know she had done the right thing for her teammate though Sasuke and Naruto would think her to be a coward.

Then Naruto's hand lifted and Sakura, feeling completely surprised, wondered if Wrath had so debased him that he didn't have the confidence to continue. Maybe she made a mistake in using Wrath to cheat. Poor Naruto, she thought, getting ready to stand and leave with her teammates. Naruto's voice made her freeze half out of her seat.

"Don't underestimate me!" Naruto bellowed, slamming his hand back down onto his desk,"I will not run! I'll take it, even if I'm genin forever! I'll will myself to becoming Hokage anyway, so I don't care! I am not afraid!"

Sakura smiled widely and sank back down, relieved that Naruto had not backed down. She didn't need to worry, when it came to backbone, Naruto won every time. He was just that kind of idiot.

"I'll ask you again. Your life is riding on this decision; this is your last chance to quit," Ibiki warned.

"I follow my unbending word that's my ninja way." Naruto replied with a confident smirk.

After that no one raised his or her hand. Naruto had lifted their worries and had given them confidence. Sakura shook her head, both proud and envious at his power to lead people. If he ever got over his foolishness, he would make a great leader.

"Good decisions. Now, to everyone still remaining," Ibiki started.

Everyone braced themselves for what was coming. And Sakura crossed her fingers under her desk for an easy question.

"To the 78 who remain, I congratulate you on passing the first test!" Ibiki shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

Her mouth dropped and her mind quickly made the connections.

"We already pass?" Sakura asked thoughtlessly, "So the decision on staying or not… that was the tenth question?"

"That's right," Ibiki agreed.

Also, Ibiki's entire persona changed. He seemed friendlier and he even stood in a less threatening manner. He had been acted during the entire test.

"Then the first nine questions were pointless!" the girl sand ninja yelled.

"No, they had already served their purpose. To test your individual information gathering ability," he explained.

So Sakura had been right. The examiners expected them to cheat! She grinned, pleased that she had guessed the purpose of the exam correctly.

"First as the rules explained… success on this test is based on the whole team doing well. This puts pressure on each member not to mess things up for their teammates," he said patiently.

"I had a feeling this test was like that," Naruto remarked, lying completely.

"But the questions on this test were not the type that a mere genin could answer. Because of that I'm sure most of the people came to the same conclusion. That to score points I'll have to cheat. Basically the premise of this test is to cheat. As cheating targets we had two chuunin's who knew all the answers mixed into the crowd. To help you guys out."

Sakura glanced into the room of genin and spotted two who smirked conspiratorially at Ibiki's lecture. She couldn't believe that she didn't realize they were chuunin. She must have been too distracted with cheating to spot them.

"But those who cheat poorly fail of course," Ibiki said, unwrapping the cloth on his head.

Sakura leaned back on her bench; what the hell was he doing? Then he let the cloth fall. His head had burns, screw holes, and scars, mutating the entire surface. Sakura kept her face neutral, identifying the damage as the after effects of torture. In the past three nights Sakura had slowly gotten used to seeing bloody pictures. That fact that Ibiki's scars didn't affect her made her slightly sad; she was losing her innocence.

"Because, at times, information is more important than life… and on missions and the battlefield, people risk their lives to get their hands on it," Ibiki said somberly, "If the enemy or third party notices you… there is no guarantee the info will be accurate…I want you to remember this. Important information in your hands… can be a powerful weapon for your comrades and for the village. So we had you gather information through cheating. This clearly separated those that did not have the right abilities."

"But… I don't understand the final question," said the girl sand ninja again.

Ibiki smiled as he spoke, "Question ten is the true purpose of this test."

"What does that mean?" the girl asked.

Sakura knew what it meant, the tenth question. It was the choice of risking life for your teammates. The question was similar to making a sacrifice for the sake of the mission and the team. Either you didn't even try, like those who raised their hands, and let your team down, or you risked your career as a ninja for the sake of your team.

He finished explaining the tenth question to the genin, retying the cloth around his head, "No matter what the danger there are missions you can't avoid. The ability to be courageous… and survive any hardship this is the ability needed to become a chuunin captain. Those who can't put their destinies on the line who cling to the uncertain future of 'there's always next year' and then walk away from their chance those pieces of trash who can only make such cowardly choices don't have the right to become a chuunin. That is how I feel!"

Sakura smiled; glad she had, so far, made the courageous choices.

"Those who choose to take it… answered the tough tenth question correctly. You will be able to survive any troubles you face in the future. You have made it through the entrance; the first test of the chuunin selection exam is now finished. I wish you guys' good luck," he finished.

"Hell yeah! Wish us luck!" Naruto yelled.

Sakura's heart lifted at Naruto's exuberance and Ibiki's speech.

Suddenly, something crashed through the window. It rolled across the front of the room as kunai shot out to the sides.

"What's this?" Naruto yelled.

Sakura gasped, was this the second part of the exam? Already?

The projectile turned out to be a woman, in front of… a banner?

"You guys! This is no time to be celebrating! I am the examiner for the second test! Mitarashi Anko! Now let's go! Follow me!" the woman yelled, raising an arm.

No one got up.

"Bad timing," Ibiki said, stepping out from behind the banner.

The new examiner reminded Sakura of an older Naruto. She watched as Anko looked over the remaining people.

"78? Ibiki! You left 26 teams? The test was too easy this time!" she chided.

Ibiki smirked, "This time… there are a lot of outstanding ones."

"Bah, that's fine. I'll at least cut them in half in the second test," she proclaimed, grinning widely.

Sakura frowned; fifty percent of the remaining genin would be cut! That would be one or two people per team. She glanced at Sasuke and Naruto. If she weighed her chance, she would be the one to fail. No way could she compete, not at her level.

"Ahhh…I'm getting excited… I'll explain everything once we've changed places, follow me," Anko ordered, exiting out the window.

**Sorry about the wait for this update. I hope everyone likes it. From now on review responses will be at the bottom so non reviewers don't have to bother with them. **

**Zesty**

**Deep-Sadness: Here the next update. Be happy again!**

**KEELAH: Sorry, most have requested me to post chapters as I edit them. Thanks! **

**CrystalHeart27: Thank you. Sakura is my favorite character in Naruto so I'm glad I've got her down. **

**tomboycherry101: Thanks! Here's the new chapter!**

**sachiko haruki: I'll post the edited ones. Thanks for the review.**

**X-Burner 27: I see your point and I agree; too bad I didn't see that earlier. But while it won't be as interesting now, Sakura hasn't finished changing, nor is she the strong person she will be at the end of this. I'm planning on giving her a lot of emotional changes.**

**stargazing-sweetie: Thank you! Of course there will still be SakuraxHasumi. It's actually part of my plot...**

**AkaEyes: I will finish editing. Here's the update!**

**Night Fangz: Haha thank you! I didn't really want to write about Gai and his turtle any way. **

**Miss Chocolat: Haha maybe I'm making Sakura too similar Sasuke? The changes to the story won't be hugely big but I will fill the holes I made what, two years ago? I'm afraid it may get repetitive for those who have read the previous versions. **

**taida: I couldn't ever kill this story. Even if it takes two months, I'll update. Haha it usually does take that long. I'm glad you like it so much!**

**angel897: Never ending editing... **

**gemaima11: You'll get a good fight (And a good break down). While Sakura hasn't improved at all physically, she does have a new weapon and a resolve to depend on others less. It adds up. **

**Lady Sakura of the Uchihas: Edwardlova12, change your pen name? I'm probably just as lazy as you so I can understand that. **

**xladykittyx: I'm glad I didn't disappoint. Hopefully this chapter will be the same! While there is no Hasumi in this update, there is A LOT of Wrath. Hasumi only shows up or twice once next update too.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sakura has paired with Player Hasumi and continues on to the second part of the chuunin exams. After finishing the last test with a little blood promise with her dagger, Wrath, she faces the challenges ahead (not at all) confidently. **

**And without further wait, the fifth chapter. Finally!**

As Anko led the group outside Hasumi appeared from an alleyway and leaned on the wall, smirking at Sakura. She slowed, drifting behind the group. In their excitement she thought no one would notice when she lagged behind for awhile. She apprehensively walked to his side, still unsure of how much she should trust him, if it all.

"How'd it go?" he asked, sounding uninterested.

"It went okay," she answered quickly, deciding not to mention her situation with Wrath, "It was a little tricky though. Any sign of the third player?"

Hasumi's eyebrows rose as he replied, "No sign. Be on your toes though. I'll keep following you so you won't be alone."

She nodded, casting her eyes to the ground and feeling more unsettled than comforted by the idea of having someone watch her every move. Hopefully she'd get used to it enough to loosen up before the next test.

"_**You're never alone anymore,"**_Wrath cut in maliciously.

Knowing he spoke the truth and at a loss for anything to say, Sakura opted to ignore him.

"Pink hair!" came Anko's impatient yell, startling Sakura into whirling around.

Anko and the group had stopped walking. Sakura grimaced as everyone looked at her. Most of them glared but a few gave her curious looks.

"Stop flirting with your boyfriend and hurry the hell up!" Anko snapped, turning around and continuing on.

Sakura turned to say bye and found that Hasumi already disappeared. She hadn't even heard him move. Frustrated that he slipped by her so easily, she searched the area for his chakra signature but couldn't sense it. She stopped trying and ran to catch up. She smiled at Naruto who had waited for her.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked bluntly as they continued on.

Naruto's question made her glad she had rehearsed her story several times in her head. And with Sasuke out of hearing range Naruto couldn't have asked it at a better time. Sasuke defiantly would notice if she lied.

"Oh, him? He's my cousin. He's visiting and wanted to see how I was doing," she lied smoothly.

Naruto seemed to believe her and nodded.

"Oh, I see," he leaned closer to Sakura to whisper in her ear, "Sakura… what was that voice in my head?"

Sakura glanced at him and said dismissively, "Oh, remember? I told you my parents had gotten me a new dagger. It can do things like that."

Naruto looked confused for a second, and then grinned.

"Oh, cool!" he said enviously, "I wish I had a dagger like that. And the way you talked back then, you sounded just like Gaara! It was creepy."

She didn't know if she wanted to sound like Gaara; Gaara sounded cold and threatening. Maybe she was starting to at least appear stronger but she didn't know if she could rise up to any new expectations. She was still that weak little girl. She started to both dread failure and anticipate the chance to prove she could fight.

As they caught up to Sasuke and the rest of the group Sakura put on a neutral expression and hoped no one noticed the unease she was sure was written on her face. Sakura changed the subject, wondering out loud what the next test would be like and tried to feign interest in her conversation with Naruto.

When Anko stopped Sakura found herself in front of a huge forest, surrounded by a wire fence. On the fence was a sign that read, 'Danger! Stay out!'.

"Welcome to the stage for the second test, practice area 44. Also known as 'the Forest of Death'!" Anko announced gleefully.

Sakura wrung her hands together nervously. A name like 'the Forest of Death' did not bode well. She would rather not die any time soon. Also, a practice area meant that the next test would involve a fighting or a survival. Even if the examiner didn't allow any killing accidents could happen or she could get eaten by an overly vicious animal

The cold fear she felt in the pit of her stomach warmed suddenly into excitement. So what if she could die? Death seemed all too close recently anyway. It didn't make a difference if she died now trying to become stronger than if she died at the hands of another player. She smiled, knowing this surge of confidence was because of Wrath's influence. Somehow this thought didn't bother her because she would get stronger in this forest.

"You'll soon find out why it's called the forest of death," Anko said, reading the fear on the genin's faces.

"'You'll soon find out…why it's called the forest of death'," Naruto mimicked, wagging his butt in the air as an imitation of Anko, "You think that scares me? That's nothing! I'm not afraid!"

"Yeah, you're spirited," Anko said agreeably.

Suddenly a kunai flew past Naruto shallowly cutting his cheek. Before the kunai finished its flight, Anko vanished only to reappear behind Naruto.

"Kids like you are quickly killed," Anko said, giggling. She licked the blood off Naruto's cheek and continued, "Spraying that red blood I love."

Sakura scowled as Anko blushed, suddenly feeling more suspicious of her than Wrath. Before Sakura could consider how disturbing that thought really was, she sensed movement behind Anko and froze. A woman had tried to return Anko's kunai with her tongue. The woman's tongue stretched out at least four feet, and had the flexibility and grip of a snake. Sakura stared in wide eyed awe as Anko attacked the inhumanly long tongue with a kunai, pausing just before she drew blood.

"Here's your kunai," the woman said, not slurring in the least.

She lifted her straw hat up to reveal at pale face that would have been pretty if not for the reptilian tongue.

"Why thank you," Anko replied cheerfully, but as she continued her voice went cold, "But you know, don't sneak up behind me unless you want to die."

"Oh, I just get excited when I see red blood and you cut my precious hair, I couldn't help it," the woman said, snaking her tongue back in her mouth.

Anko slipped the two kunai back into her tan coat. Sakura edged further away from them both, chills running up her spine at their intense creepy factor.

"Looks like we have a lot of blood thirsty ones in this test. This should be fun," Anko remarked, smirking, "Now, before we start the second test there's something I have to pass out."

She held up a bunch of papers and continued in a bored tone, "You must sign these agreement forms."

"What?" Naruto asked.

"There will be deaths in this one… and if I don't have you sign these…it will all be my responsibility," Anko answered, blushing again and giggling.

Sakura felt another stab of fear. People could die? She thought Ibiki said killing wouldn't be allowed! No… what he said would only apply to the first exam. She couldn't believe how stupid she was to think no one would die in a test for shinobi. She clenched her hands into fists, and examined the forest with a determined scowl. Killing or no killing, she had to do her best for her team.

Anko explained that the test was a survival test and each team would duke it out over scrolls. Each team would get one, either a 'heaven' or an 'earth'. Once they got both they would have to reach a tower in the middle of the forest to win. Which basically meant half or more of the teams would fail.

Sakura bit her lip worriedly. How long would this part of the test last? She couldn't wait around for too long.

"But there is a time limit," Anko warned, almost as if she read Sakura's mind, "This second test will last 120 hours. Exactly five days,"

Sakura didn't have five days! Three days already passed since Sakura received Wrath. Five days from now all five the players could already be in Konoha and easily pick her off in the forest. Sakura tried to calm down reminding herself that the forest would be closely watched by examiners so a missing ninja couldn't just waltz in. But what if that meant Hasumi couldn't get in either? She frowned deeply and decided she couldn't do anything to help her predicament. She could only hope the test would go well and she and her team would finish as quickly as possible.

"Five days?" Ino yelled, startling Sakura out of her thoughts.

"What about dinner?" Chouji added.

"You're on your own," Anko grinned maliciously, "The forest is full of food. Just watch out for man-eating beasts, poisonous insects, and poisonous plants. And, 13 teams passing, is not likely. As the days go on, the distance to the goal will become farther and the time to rest will become shorter. And the area is crawling with enemies, you won't get much sleep. So not only will some fail by losing the scroll… but some will die from the harshness of the course."

Sakura let out an unlady like snort, trying to mask her apprehension and fear. Strangely, she more felt more annoyed than afraid over the length and danger of the course. But her irritation only won by a small margin though.

Anko continued with her instructions, informing the genin that if their team didn't reach the tower by the time limit of if they lose a member the team would be disqualified. They also couldn't quit or look in the scroll before reaching the tower. Anko told them to finish the paperwork and exchange it for a scroll at one of the booths nearby. They could pick any gate they wanted to enter the forest.

"Oh," Anko seemed to consider something, "One final word of advice, don't die."

The genin spread out to read over and sign the forms. Sakura barely glanced over hers before signing it and joining her team at the booth. She just wanted to get this thing over with.

"Ok, everyone get to your gates. You have thirty minutes until we unlock them!" Anko yelled over the crowd.

"Ok! I won't lose! I'll kick anyone's ass that gets near me!" Naruto yelled once they got to their gate, gate 12.

He flipped the forest off. Sakura couldn't help but laugh at his antics. Despite the anxiety that gnawed at her mind like a parasite, she couldn't wait to face what lay beyond the gate. She felt reckless and wild with the heady mix of fear and confidence. It was as if she had passed the point where her fear could inhibit her. She tried to ignore the part of her screaming that she shouldn't go in, that she would die.

Gate twelve unlocked suddenly and swung open with a rusty squeal.

"Ok, let's start!" Naruto yelled, walking brazenly into the forest.

Sakura smiled and followed him in. Sasuke smirked next to her. A few minutes into the test a scream sounded throughout the forest and Sakura couldn't help jumping, her hand going straight to Wrath.

Sakura swallowed nervously and asked, "That was a human scream right?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replied nonchalantly.

Naruto was silent before saying bluntly, "You know what…I gotta go take a piss."

Naruto started to unzip his pants when Sakura punched his shoulder.

"Go in the bushes you idiot," she chided.

He laughed bashfully and ran into the forest.

"Man! So much came out! I feel great now!" Naruto said, zipping up his pants.

Sakura, who had been facing the other way, glanced over at the blonde's announcement. Her eyes narrowed and she walked over to him. Two things were off. Naruto's shuriken holster was on his left side, not his right and Naruto's scratch from earlier had disappeared. When she looked over at Sasuke she saw acknowledgement in his eyes. At his slight nod the pair moved as one and lashed out at Naruto, Sakura with a kick to his gut and Sasuke with a punch across his face. Naruto went flying into a tree under the combined forces.

"What," he demanded, wiping blood off his face, "the hell are you doing?"

"Where is the real Naruto?" Sasuke demanded bluntly.

"What?" Naruto started.

"Don't," Sakura cut in, "You're a fake who is even worse than Naruto at transforming."

"Unlucky! You figured it out! Oh well," Naruto smirked and turned into a rain ninja, "Which one of you has the scroll?"

Sasuke and Sakura remained silent.

"Hmm…I'll just take it by force then!" the ninja exclaimed viscously.

He ran forward and Sakura drew Wrath, preparing for the attack. Sasuke beat her to the punch and jumped into the air with a flurry of hand signs.

**Mythical fire flower technique!**

Fireballs shot out of Sasuke's mouth at the rain ninja, forcing him into the air to avoid them. Sasuke raced after the rain ninja as he jump into Naruto's 'peeing' tree. Sakura frowned and followed them, moving with more speed than she was used to. She rounded the tree just in time to see Sasuke drop to the ground to avoid the two kunai hurtling at his head.

Using the opportunity provided by the ninja's exposed back, she leapt into the air, and brought Wrath down on his head. The rain ninja whirled around before the blade connected but was forced to counter and defend, giving Sasuke time to recover from the explosion tags attached to the kunai.

Naruto appeared from behind a bush, shedding a frayed and broken rope with a triumphant expression. Realizing the situation, he acted quickly and flung a kunai up at the ninja who was still reeling from Sakura's attacks. The ninja blocked the kunai with one of his own. Sakura, acting on instinct, lunged forward and sliced him across the eye. His blood splattered across her face and she froze in shock. The liquid warm as it ran down the sides of her nose and over her lips. The metallic smell and taste suddenly assaulted her senses waking her from her stupor. Frantically she smeared the blood away from her eyes and tried to focus on the fight.

Looking around, she realized the rain ninja had fallen off the tree, clutching at his eye. Sasuke took advantage of the opening Sakura had created. With a flare of chakra in his foot he captured Naruto's stray kunai and whipped it back toward the ninja with a kick. The ninja managed to dodge the kunai but not the second Sasuke's threw in its wake. The second kunai lodged in the ninja's shoulder with a wet thunk. Sakura flinched at the spray of blood as the ninja ripped the kunai out of his flesh, all too aware of the same blood drying on her lips.

The rain ninja scowled. As Sasuke and the ninja both crashed to the ground, the ninja quickly slugged Sasuke in the chin, forcing him to let go. The ninja disengaged from the fight, leaping away into the trees.

Sakura scrubbed the blood on her face, panting. That had been her first real fight. She realized as her body shook with tremors. She couldn't catch her breath, couldn't focus on anything but the taste, smell, and warmth of the rain ninja's blood. She remembered tasting her own blood on a dare from Ino. This was similar but different. The taste and the feeling were off. This wasn't her blood but the blood of a man she barely knew and she felt only revulsion. Her stomach churned but she would not allow herself to throw up because she had done it. She hadn't allowed Naruto and Sasuke to stand in front of her. She made her own mark on the enemy. Despite her lingering nerves, Sakura grinned grimly in satisfaction.

She glanced at the deep red blade in her hand. It was clean…the rain ninja's blood was gone. When she examined her clothes and her hands, they were stained with the blood but for some reason, all the blood from the blade disappeared. Could Wrath absorb it somehow? No, Sakura decided, maybe whatever the blade was shaped from was so slick, the blood ran right off.

"If we get separated next time…even if it's one of us, don't trust them. This could happen again," Sasuke explained severely.

Team seven crowed together, discussing their options while staying alert for other teams. Eventually they agreed to wait for another team to attack and to try and turn the tables on them. This way they would save time looking for a second team with the right scroll. Sakura felt a bit of déjà vu at the thought of being bait again. She almost couldn't stand just waiting for things to happen. But because she didn't possess enough strength to go out and take things for her own, she couldn't act on that impulse.

"What should we do if we get separated again?" Sakura asked, nervously spinning her dagger in her hands.

Naruto shot an envious glance at the knife, and looked at her questioningly. She avoided eye contact with him so he wouldn't bring the dagger's special powers up around Sasuke.

"We'll make a codeword, just in case," Sasuke said impatiently, "If they get the codeword wrong; assume they are the enemy, no matter what they look like. Listen carefully; I'll say it only once. The ninja song, _Ninja Machine_. When this is asked, answer with 'a large amount of loud enemies is the friend of the shinobi, hide and remain silent. A shinobi must understand the proper time, when the enemy is tired and ill prepared."

Sakura nodded swiftly, having already memorized the question and answer easily.

"Wait…that's impossible to remember," Naruto protested.

Sakura frowned at him. Of course she knew Naruto could never remember the long code but she realized Sasuke intentionally made it impossible for him to remember. If an enemy heard them say the phrase and tried to transform into Naruto Sasuke could tell immediately by a correct answer that the Naruto was a fake. Sakura thought Sasuke seemed a bit too paranoid but better safe than sorry right?

"You better remember it," she ordered harshly, putting on an act in case an enemy heard, "I will attack you if you get it wrong."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, looking confused.

"Hey is this code word really…" he trailed off and crossed his arms, an intense look of concentration on his face.

Sasuke reached across Naruto, stretching a hand to Sakura, "I'll hold the scroll."

Sakura felt a surge of annoyance at his ego. He thought he could protect the scroll better then she could. Well she wasn't going to just let him get his way, if Sasuke could be overly paranoid so could she. If another team really was spying on them then they would attack Sasuke because they thought he had the scroll. Even if they managed to get Sasuke's scroll they would be in for a huge surprise. She reached into her bag and grabbed the first scroll that came to her hand and did a quick transformation jutsu.

"Here," she said, hoping he wouldn't notice her use of chakra and blow the deception.

Just as team seven stood, a fierce chakra created wind blew through the clearing.

"What! More enemies?" Naruto asked, bracing himself against the wind.

Sakura and Sasuke did the same, at least until an explosion rocked the area, sending them all flying. Sakura managed to control her flight, hiding herself in a tree. As the dust cloud settled she spotted Sasuke hiding under a bush beneath her tree. She swiftly jumped down next to him, landing softly.

"Sasuke-kun! The ninja song, _Ninja Machine_!" she said swiftly.

"A large amount of loud enemies is the friend of the shinobi, hide and remain silent. A shinobi must understand the proper time, when the enemy is tired and ill prepared," he replied easily.

Sakura relaxed as Naruto came running toward them.

"Ouch that hurt. You guys alright?" he asked, rubbing at his shoulder.

"Naruto wait a second, the ninja song _Ninja machine_!" Sakura demanded, halting his run.

"I know…" he started unthinkingly, "A large amount of loud enemies is the friend of the shinobi, hide and remain silent. A shinobi must understand the proper time, when the enemy is tired and ill prepared," he finished with a grin.

Sakura frowned at him while Sasuke smirked. Sasuke's trick actually worked. Why was it that the imposter always transformed into Naruto? Sakura wondered where Naruto had gone and worried that he might be in trouble. Hopefully he could handle it until she and Sasuke finished with their fight.

Sasuke acted quickly, throwing a kunai at Naruto, who stumbled out of range.

"Whoa!" Naruto yelled, surprised.

"So it is someone good enough to dodge my attacks," Sasuke mused.

Sakura rolled her eyes at Sasuke's superior tone and bent her knees, loosening Wrath in his sheath. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She didn't know if she felt excited or anxious. She still felt a little sick from her last fight and she wasn't sure if she wanted to have to fight when she still had battle jitters, but she didn't seem to have a choice. She tightened her grip on Wrath and stared at the imposter determinedly. No matter how she felt now, she wouldn't let it interfere in the fight.

The imposter took on a dark grin that looked out of place on Naruto's features. Just that grin alone made Sakura completely sure that it wasn't her teammate who stood across from her now. A cloud of smoke covered the boy.

"Impressive, How did you know," a voice emerged from the smoke and the woman grass ninja stood in Naruto's place as the smoke drifted away, "that I was a fake?"

Sakura's eyes widened and she held in a gasp. She had to fight the freaky snake lady? She didn't know if the woman possessed enough power to defeat both Sakura and Sasuke, but from the way she snuck up on Anko, Sakura didn't like their chances. Especially since the snake woman seemed confident she could take team seven down without the help of her teammates.

"_**There is something wrong about this woman," **_Wrath cautioned, _**"Don't underestimate her."**_

Sakura nodded inwardly, accepting Wrath's warning without protest. She wondered what it was about the grass ninja that made him cautious. Sakura felt uneasy because something about the woman worried even Wrath.

"I knew that you were listening to our conversation from under the ground. That's why I made the codeword like that. There was no way he could remember a song that long, so you had to be a fake," Sasuke explained proudly.

Sakura shot him a look. She didn't know someone actually listened in on their conversation. So Sasuke did have a reason to be cautious. Another flash of irritation went through her. He could have at least told her through hand signals. Or better yet, she should have noticed on her own!

"I see," The woman said, taking her hat off, "Neither tired nor ill prepared, are we? This will be more fun than I thought. You want my 'earth scroll' right? Since you guys have the 'heaven scroll'," the woman asked, taking out her scroll.

She slowly slid it up to her mouth. Her tongue wrapped around it like a snake and she swallowed it whole. When the women gulped Sakura sensed a flare of chakra. Maybe the ability to unhinge your jaw and contain things in your stomach was a technique. Sakura grimaced in disgust and wonder; she didn't like the thought of such a large thing residing in her stomach. What if you forgot about it and digested it? Suddenly Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted the scroll back.

"Now, let's begin the battle for each other's scroll. With our lives on the line," the woman said heavily.

Sakura clenched her teeth as the woman's killing intent suddenly spiked. What if she did die? Her parents would be so heartbroken. Would it hurt? Sakura tried to smother a burst of fear.

The woman grinned deviously and put a finger on the lid of her eye, pulling it down to show the pink of the lid. At that moment Sakura felt her body torn to shreds from some unseen force. She glanced down and saw her skin was a tapestry of ragged cuts. Blood welled up from the wounds and began to run down her skin. Sakura's couldn't hold herself up and she slumped to the ground among a growing puddle of blood. Then she saw a kunai zooming toward her head. Sakura tried to move but found that she couldn't force herself to jump away. As the kunai neared, time seemed to freeze and she could hear her heart beating. Sakura couldn't win. She'd die here and Hasumi would have to play the game on his own. Her parents would cry of course. Tears streamed her eyes as the kunai hit her in the middle of the forehead with a wet sickening sound.

Sakura gasped, expecting to die but when she didn't she realized that it had been all been an illusion. She searched her trembling body and saw that her skin was smooth. She tried to stand but found she still couldn't move. The death intent from the grass ninja's eye was enough to paralyze her. She looked over at Sasuke and saw that he kneeled on the ground trembling, his mouth hanging open. Could he not move either? Who exactly was this woman? Tears continued to pour out of her eyes and she tried to halt the flow; she would not cry!

"You can no longer move," the woman purred.

Where was Hasumi? He said he would protect her! No, Sakura realized, he only said he would protect her from other players. He could easily let this woman kill her without breaking their promise. That though saddened her and she felt her chances of surviving the chuunin exams drop.

The pain from the finger she had cut on Wrath suddenly hit her and Sakura cried out. She managed to glance down to see her finger glowing a dull red.

"_**If you don't move, you will die. With or without Hasumi's help," **_Wrath growled in annoyance.

Sakura glanced up; sensing two kunai, not illusions this time, headed her way. She willed her limbs to move but only managed a feeble twitch. Her mouth dropped open as once again, she faced death. Suddenly something warm collided with her body. In mid air she turned her head and saw Sasuke holding her to him. He had managed to push her out of the way.

When they fell to the ground, she saw why he was able to move. He had pierced his own leg with a kunai. Sasuke grabbed her arm and towed her to the closest tree for cover. Sakura shivered as she jumped up with him, still trying to pull herself out of the haze of fear. She could still feel the kunai splitting through her skin. Feeling nauseous, Sakura rubbed at her forehead, checking again for an incision. She saw Sasuke pressing a hand over the wound in his leg. How could she worry over fake injuries when Sasuke was dealing with a real one?

"I'm so sorry. Wrap your wound. I'll distract-," Sakura stopped as Sasuke covered her mouth with his hand.

He peered anxiously out from behind the tree, searching for the woman. Sakura stared at him in awe. Why couldn't she be like Sasuke? To maim yourself in order to get out of an illusion and go straight into battle mode after… she didn't think she could do it. Her fear of pain was too big a hurdle. She was so utterly weak and useless she couldn't stand it.

Sakura saw a sinuous shadow out of the corner of her vision and glanced into the foliage of the tree. A huge green and black snake shot at her from the shadows, its jaws gaping wide enough to take her head off. She instinctively threw herself forward, grappling with it before it could bite her. Its scales felt smooth under her hands as she tried to find a grip and its pungent smell hit her like a hammer. She and the snake fell to another branch in a tangled heap. Frantically she scrabbled for a hold of the back of its head, trying to prevent the snake from wrapping around her.

"Sasuke! Run!" she managed to cry desperately.

Sakura dropped her hold and quickly drew her dagger as the snake reared back for another strike. Before it could plunge its fangs into her face she slammed the blade under its jaw, feeling it rip through tissue and cut through bone. Expecting more resistance, the force of Sakura's strike pushed the blade in up to the hilt. The snake thrashed violently in its death throes, sending Sakura flying.

Hearting pounding violently, Sakura managed to land on her feet next to Sasuke while the snake fell to the tree branch below.

"_**Fool!" **_Wrath said scornfully, _**"You just lost your soul in that reptile!"**_

'_What do you mean?'_ she asked him.

He didn't need to answer. She gasped in dismay when she spotted Wrath in the snake's body. Before she realized what she was doing, she jumped out of the tree and dashed toward the body, unaware of anything but the dagger she had foolishly left unprotected.

"Sakura don't!" Sasuke yelled frantically.

Sakura was foot away from the carcass when a kunai split it in half from the inside and the grass ninja pulled herself out. The woman was covered in snake guts, even her tongue, and she reeked with its smell. Sakura tried to back pedal when the ninja caught her by the hair and yanked her forward. Sakura tried to resist but the woman easily overpowered her and pulled her close.

"You guys shouldn't relax for even a moment. Prey should always be trying their best to run away. In the presence of a predator that is," the woman hissed, yanking Sakura's head back, baring her neck. The woman dragged her tongue over Sakura's neck and said slyly, "What delicious prey."

Sakura's shuddered and her breath came in gasps as panic threatened to overwhelm her. This was seriously bad. She had not only lost Wrath but she was now at the mercy of the enemy. Her neck already hurt with the strain of the position and Sakura could only see the darkening sky and the tops of the trees. She felt the warmth of the women next to her like a flame and she yearned to flinch away.

"Damn it!" Sasuke cursed helplessly, "Don't kill her!"

Sakura bared her teeth in frustration. If only she could get away from the ninja's grip! Out of nowhere, Sakura heard the sound of shuriken and kunai rushing through the air. The woman let go of her hair and jumped backward.

"Don't touch Sakura!" Naruto roared from a tree branch.

Sakura fell to her knees in the remains of the snake. She was about to push herself up when she saw the glint of red among corpse. With a rush of overwhelming relief, she snatched Wrath up eagerly. Sakura felt a mix of emotions. Sure Naruto saved her and she felt grateful, but she also felt irritated that she had to be saved. She gave him a weak grin as she stood.

"Thank you Naruto," she said warmly, trying not to let her frustration show.

"Naruto!" Sasuke screamed his voice tense with anxiety, "I know you think you're cool and here to save us, but forget it! Run away! This one is on another level!"

Sakura stared at him in shock. This wasn't the Sasuke she knew. Sasuke never backed down from a fight. Just how strong was this ninja? She returned her attention to the woman, realizing just how close she had come to death. The woman lounged on a branch above Sakura, smiling at Naruto.

"Looks like you successfully defeated that giant snake, Naruto-kun," the woman purred.

Naruto frowned at her, remaining silent. Naruto defeated another snake? Could the woman only fight with her snakes? Sakura winced at another stab of pain from her finger. It was still glowing a dull, blood-colored red.

"Hey! Hey! It looks like you were picking on the weak!" Naruto yelled, always the righteous one.

Sasuke suddenly relaxed his stance, taking the 'heaven scroll' out.

"I will give you the scroll, please, take it and leave us," he pleaded.

Sakura felt shock so intense it was like a punch to the stomach. Why was Sasuke backing down so easily? What had him so rattled? She was just glad that she had given him a fake scroll.

"No! Sasuke!" she exclaimed so she wouldn't seem suspicious.

"Yeah Sasuke! What the hell are you talking about? Why would you give the scroll to the enemy?" Naruto accused, pointing down at Sasuke.

"I see, very smart. The only way for prey to escape a predator is to give the predator a different meal," the woman remarked, pulling herself up on her branch.

Sakura felt Wrath's influence in a wave of anger that temporarily swamped her fear. How dare this woman think she was better than them!

"Hey!" Sakura growled unthinkingly, "I will not acknowledge you as my predator! Shut up!"

The woman smirked down at her, "Then you are a fool."

Sakura bared her teeth in response and then shivered in disgust at the memory of the woman's tongue on her neck. As quick as it came, the burst of anger disappeared, her fear returning full force.

"Take it," Sasuke said, tossed the scroll to the woman, regardless of his teammates' protests.

Suddenly Naruto leapt to catch it.

"You bastard! What are you doing! Do you understand the situation?" he shouted at Sasuke, landing on a branch.

Sakura caught a glimpse of Naruto's face as he headed for Sasuke. There was something different in Naruto's eyes. This serious side of him surprised her. Before Sasuke could react, Naruto punched him across the jaw and sent him flying.

"What was that?" Sasuke yelled, picking up himself on another branch.

"Naruto…" Sakura said lowly.

Naruto seemed so different. She had never seen him like this. Was he a fake again? Sakura studied his appearance for a flaw but found nothing out of the ordinary.

"I forgot the codeword so I can't test it, but you're Sasuke's fake aren't you?" Naruto accused.

No, a fake would try to recite the password. This was the real Naruto. Sakura bit her lip and examined Sasuke for a flaw. He looked normal… but his personality was completely different.

"You total moron! I'm the real Sasuke!" Sasuke bellowed.

"Liar," Naruto growled, shaking his head viscously, "There is no way such a stupid coward like you is the Sasuke I know! I don't know how strong this guy is but what guarantee is there that she'll let us go if we give her the scroll? You're the one too freaked out to understand the situation!"

The woman chuckled.

"Naruto, you are correct!" she said, licking her face with her tongue, "Since I can kill you," she bit her finger and spread blood on her arm, "and just take your scroll!"

"Shut up!" Naruto roared as he turned and rushed forward.

"No! Run away! Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, his voice cracking.

Sakura shot him a confused glance and jumped closer to the grass ninja incase she would be needed. If Sasuke wouldn't be Naruto's backup, she would, fear be damned. Her teammates' lives were more important.

"Summoning technique!" the woman exclaimed as she was enveloped by a cloud of smoke.

The smoke cleared with a rush of wind revealed a gigantic snake with eyes as dead as coals under the grass ninja. The tail of the snake swept around and knocked Naruto out of the way.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed in concern for her teammate.

Sakura watched as Naruto hurtled through the air. The speed Naruto was going at sent him through a tree with a loud crack and into the next one. Sakura winced in sympathy and hoped he wasn't too hurt.

"Go ahead and eat him," the woman ordered the snake.

Sakura's eyes widen in alarm. In a burst of adrenaline, she shot off the branch to intercept Naruto's fall into the mouth of the snake.

"Eat shit!" Naruto roared suddenly, pulling his arm back for a punch.

Sakura could see the grass ninja stiffen at something Sakura couldn't see. The woman took a deep breath and blew Naruto away with a burst of chakra. Sakura drove her dagger into a tree, stopping her descent. She used the impact from her dagger and swung herself around, catching Naruto before he could smash into another tree.

"Sasuke-kun, now it's your turn! What will you do?" the woman taunted at Sakura's stationary teammate.

While Naruto and Sakura recovered, the giant snake slithered over to where Sasuke stood. Before Sakura could react she felt Naruto move next her, faster than she had ever seen him move before. The next time she saw him, he was standing with his back to the snake, after having forced it to stop. The snake's mouth was crumpled around Naruto who had somehow survived the impact.

"Naruto…?" Sakura whispered in awe, jumping out of her tree to stand on Sasuke's branch.

"Hey, are you alright," Naruto growled, his voice edged with a dark tone, "Scaredy cat?"

When Naruto looked up Sakura couldn't help but gasp. Naruto's eyes looked like a cat's and the lines on his cheeks had deepened, standing out starkly on his skin. Without either genin noticing, a long tongue snaked around Naruto stomach, picking him up.

"Damn it! Let go of me!" he ordered uselessly as he was pulled to the grass ninja.

"So… the nine-tails brat is still alive. When your emotions are heightened, the power of the nine-tails overflows. Very interesting. Oh my, the seal is visible," the grass ninja said, pulling up Naruto's shirt to reveal odd tattoos on Naruto's stomach.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed as the boy twisted in pain, the grass ninja's hand clawing into his stomach.

Sakura longed to save her friend but somehow she knew the grass ninja wasn't aiming to kill them. If she had wanted their deaths, Sakura and Sasuke would have died the moment the ninja had them in her illusion. Admittedly, part of Sakura was deathly afraid of enticing the ninja's wrath. Being at the woman's mercy was still fresh in Sakura's mind.

Naruto went limp in the grass ninja's grasp. The woman carelessly threw Naruto behind her, grabbing the fake Heaven scroll off him in the process. Sakura quickly threw a kunai and pinned his jacket to a tree so that he wouldn't fall and get injured anymore than he was.

As she stared at Naruto's limp form, something stirred in the back of her mind. She felt livid. A flush stained her cheeks as began to pant with anger. How dare someone hurt Naruto! How dare this woman toy with them! Sakura felt only rage as it smothered every other emotion, including her fear.

"You bastard! What did you do to Naruto!" she bellowed at the grass ninja.

The woman only smiled at her.

"Sasuke!" she roared, catching the still frozen boy's attention, "It's true that Naruto is clumsy and can get in the way, but at least he's not a coward like you!"

Sasuke's scowled as he stared at her. She smirked at him, hoping to entice his anger further. If anger could defeat her fear then it could defeat Sasuke's too. Once she knew she had snapped Sasuke from his mindless stupor she turned to the grass ninja.

"Okay, it's my turn! Leave my teammates alone!" Sakura challenged brashly.

"Go ahead, prey," the woman ordered as she undid the summoning and jumped to a separate branch.

Sakura growled, consumed by rage. She hefted a kunai and ran at the grass ninja. The ninja dodged the swipe and without hesitation, plunged her hand toward Sakura's stomach. Sakura felt the tips of the woman's fingers brush the skin of her stomach before she targeted a nearby leaf to replace her body with. Hastily she pressed her dagger at the grass ninja's neck, her heart racing at the close call.

"Wrong move," Sakura whispered darkly.

Sakura slid Wrath along the grass ninja's throat, but instead of smooth flesh she felt scales. The grass ninja had replaced herself with a snake. Sakura quickly finished the small poisonous thing off with her dagger.

"Impressive..." Sakura heard from behind her, "The prey has managed to bite back."

She was blown off the branch by a strong wind just as Naruto had been. She expected to meet the rough bark of a tree, but felt strong arms wrap around her instead. Sakura whipped her head around, expecting to see the grass ninja's sickening grin. Instead she saw Sasuke's face as he stared intently at the grass ninja. Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she realized Sasuke cradled her in his arms and fought down the urge to blush.

He placed her on a branch his eyes spinning red, and said, "Let me handle her."

Sakura clenched her teeth and looked away. She really didn't want to return to the background of the fight again. When she fought the woman's she had felt so alive. Now Sasuke, even post freak out, wanted to take charge. But someone really needed to get Naruto down from that tree and to relative safety. Sakura tightly curled her fingers into fists and nodded curtly.

"Don't die. I'll join the fight after I make sure Naruto's okay," she said almost tonelessly.

Sasuke nodded and reached into his pocket to take out his weapons. He rushed toward the grass ninja and threw his kunai. Sakura tore her eyes away from the fight and jumped off her branch to go get Naruto down. It killed her to have to leave Sasuke at the mercy of the grass ninja but he should be able to handle her for at least a few minutes. As Sakura efficiently attended to Naruto's wounds and bruises, she strained to hear every detail of the fight, just in case.

When she had a chance to look at the grass ninja again, the ninja's face was melting like plastic. It looked like the grass ninja wasn't a woman but a man wearing a mask of skin. Sakura fought down her disgust.

"Just as I thought, I want you," the man whispered, his voice full of long.

Sakura jumped back to Sasuke's side, glad that he hadn't gotten hurt. The grass ninja held a hand to his headband and grinned, even though his face had just been burned off.

"I had fun testing your powers," The grass ninja stated. He slowly removed his hand, showing that the grass sign on his headband had changed to a sound symbol, "You really are brothers. I sense power in your eyes that surpasses Itachi's."

Sakura heard gasp next to her. She looked at her teammate, trying to read his reaction. He looked angry and confused. Who was Itachi?

"Who the hell are you?" Sasuke asked angrily.

"My name is Orochimaru," the ninja said simply, "If you want to see me again, then survive and pass this exam. Of course, you have to defeat my men, the sound ninja trio is on the way."

As he spoke, he held out the 'heaven scroll', and burned it in his hand.

"You're not making any sense! I never want to see your slimy face again!" Sakura screamed, rage once again consuming her.

"It won't go that way…" Orochimaru trailed off.

His face twisting in an odd way, Orochimaru's neck stretched out impossibly long and rushed toward the two genin. Sakura acted on impulse and sped forward, her dagger spinning cleanly through Orochimaru's long neck, blood spraying out as the head fell. But she had moved too late, and the severed head had already sunk its teeth into Sasuke's neck. When she glanced back at the sound ninja's body, he had disappeared. She realized that Orochimaru had somehow got away and that the neck she severed wasn't really his.

She ran to Sasuke's side, trying to ignore the blood on her clothes and skin. She saw him trembling uncontrollably.

"Ugh, what's this? It hurts!" he cried, clutching at his chest and doubling over.

"What the fuck did you do to Sasuke? You bastard!" Sakura screamed into the air.

She kicked the severed head off the tree branch.

An unharmed sound ninja appeared in a tree and said coyly, "I gave him a going away present, have fun Sakura."

Sakura was about to go after him, no matter the cost, when a scream cut through the air.

"Sasuke!" she yelled, imbued with an odd restlessness.

Sasuke screamed again.

"Sasuke! Hang in there! Don't die! This better not be a poison!" she yelled, brushing her fingers over the odd mark on Sasuke's neck.

When he continued to scream she bit her lip and did the only thing she could think of; she hit a pressure point on Sasuke's neck. His screams stopped instantly and he slumped over.

"Sorry, Sasuke, you were going to attract more enemies if you kept screaming like that," she apologized to his still form.

"_**I know the name Orochimaru," **_Wrath offered, then his tone turned disapproving, _**"Actually everyone in the shinobi world knows, or should know, that name."**_

'_Who is he?' _Sakura asked, too desperate to learn more of her enemy to react to the insult.

"_**He is one of the three Sanin of Konoha. The elite of the elite. Actually, I'm not sure even I could have taken him down," **_Wrath paused and continued in a more thoughtfully, _**"But why he came after your pathetic team I do not know. Just be thankful you're still alive."**_

Sakura knew she should be thankful but having to protect two unconscious teammates from the other genin teams, the sound trio Orochimaru mentioned, and the players that would be targeting her was not an easy task.

Deciding she had stayed in one spot for far too long she heaved Sasuke over her shoulder and jumped to Naruto's unconscious form. She rolled him over with a foot and bent down to wrap an arm around his torso. With a grunt, she stood up, straining under the combined weight of her teammates. She would have to find a secure place to rest, and fast.

**And that's the end of the some 7,700 words. Tell me what you think, what I still need to improve on, what you like, ect... I really appreciate your opinions!**

**Zesty**

**Linda Chicana: Thanks, I try to stick with the original because I don't want just make Sakura strong in a completely different story, I want her to react to what's going on in the manga and influence things only slightly. If that makes sense...**

**Luke1Sakura: Thanks, I try to get them up as fast as I can but I often get writers block. I'll read your story when I get the time, I read a few paragraphs and found it pretty interesting. Do you have a beta? They can help a lot. **

**Stargazing-sweetie: I'm a sucker for romance too but just not too much... Um, well I have a general idea of how I want everything to turn out but not how I'll get there. And I've already decided to change a lot of things from my original so the plot's pretty sketchy right now. Sorry for the wait. **

**taida: You're welcome taida!**

**X-Burner 27: Haha, your reviews actually made me focus a lot on Sakura procession from weak to strong more. The new Sakura is yet to be fully formed, she is mostly battling with Wrath's influence. Well, I'm undecided on whether or not any players will show up. I'm toying with an idea but I'm afraid it may complicate things. But I think I'll go through with it just to add more action and flesh out Sakura's and Wrath's connection.**

**Miss Chocolat: Good point on the grandmother thing. I'm considering changing that part (mostly decided). And I'm really sorry on the slowness, as I start to type up updates from scratch things should move faster. **

**angel897: Thanks, and I will.**

**nightdreamerms: Sorry about the whole re write thing and I actually had seventeen chapters up on the last one and with this update I'll be halfway through the third chapter... Sorry about the late update and thanks for the review!**

**Deep-Sadness: Thanks, I love the fighting scenes the best as well. **

**Saiyuri Haruno: Hopefully not too badass, I don't want to make the change too radical too soon.**

**Shadow Fighter Tori: Thank you!**

**Mi3staR: Yep, blood and fighting in this one. I started this before the exams because well, Sakura's the weakest during this part and the month during the chuunin exams is the perfect time to have the Game. And yes it is more about the storyline now but that will end once they finish the forest of death. **

**DevilToBeLoved: Thanks, yeah I was sad when I had to take it down but I really wanted this story to be the best I could make it. I can try more on the description part but it may take longer in the end... **

**FreedomIsPirateKey: Sorry about the Sakura/Sasuke attitude, it won't stay. Right now Sakura's having some mood swings and she settles as she grows a bit more mature. **

**Aki-lion-pwns: Thanks, sorry about the lateness. **

**Lady Sakura of the Uchihas: Thanks and it's just as well that you don't remember the other version because this one will change quite a lot. **

**Animaniac: Sorry, not telling what dagger Hasumi has ;) Nope, as you will come to know, I don't update very fast at all.**

**wolfrider93: I try to make as many mysteries as I can. :D Thanks for the review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yes, I know, I fell off the face of Earth. Well, I'm back and geared to finally finish this story. Because its been so long since my last update, I suggest you reread the previous chapter. To all those who messaged/reviewed during my little writers block, thank you and sorry it took me so long.**

"Hiya Sakura," Hasumi trilled as he dropped from the trees, landing so close she had to stumble back to avoid falling.

She sighed with a mixture of relief and annoyance.

"Took you long enough to show," she snapped wearily at him.

Sakura ignored his responding pout and lowered her teammates to the ground, her arms trembling from the strain.

"I knew you could handle it," he admonished, "If I ran to your aid Konoha would know of my presence."

She shot him a quizzical glance, "The examiners have a way of watching us?"

"In a way. They mostly just sense any chakra signature. If I stop repressing mine to use it in battle they would immediately detect a foreign presence," he explained, as he leaned against a nearby tree.

Sakura frowned and lowered herself to the ground, leaning back on her arms for some needed rest.

"So," she started slowly, "you're saying that unless it's a life or death situation, you won't be able to get involved in any fights?"

Hasumi grinned deviously and did not respond.

Great, why did he come along in the first place if he knew he could not help her? She felt a thread of unease. Maybe he never intended to help her. He could be waiting for her to die. He could pluck Wrath off her corpse without anyone the wiser.

"_**Finally you start to think with some sense," **_Wrath snickered, _**"If you go around blindly trusting anyone who treats you nicely you'll die a worthless death."**_

Sakura tried not to let her disquiet show on her face. She studied Hasumi, trying to find any ill intention. He caught her looking and grinned. She whipped her gaze away and cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Well," she rose abruptly and said, "I need to get moving."

"Don't bother," Hasumi said as she bent to pick Sasuke up.

She looked at him over her shoulder.

"And why not?" she snapped.

He laughed, "Don't get testy with me Sakura. Even if you move another mile, you will not be able to avoid a confrontation with the sound team after you. They're already hot on your trail."

Dread seeped into her bones. She would die if she faced a team alone. She was counting on Hasumi's aid until Sasuke or Naruto woke. She knew her limits. Fighting three against one was not within them.

"How long do I have?" she asked Hasumi curtly.

"They'll be here within five hours," he replied. Her distress must have shown because he laughed.

"I may not be able to supply brute force but I can help you in a few other ways," he told her, smirking.

He walked over and grabbed her hand. He reached in his pocket and dropped a small red pill onto her palm.

"A chakra pill?" she asked astonished.

He nodded.

"Chakra pills are dangerous!" she said furiously, "If I take this and misjudge my chakra I could drain myself dry!"

"And if you don't you'll die anyway," he snapped at her.

She quieted and stared down at the pill. She pocketed it and turned away from him.

"Thanks for your help but I'd appreciate it if you would leave," she said coldly, "I need to prepare."

When she turned around again, he had already disappeared.

"_**That pill is intended to kill you," **_Wrath cautioned, _**"only take it if you're on the verge of death."**_

'I have realized,' she answered dryly, 'I won't take it.'

She examined the area. Like the rest of the forest of death, gigantic trees dotted the landscape, their foliage blocking out any sign of the sky. To her right she saw a particularly large tree, with roots that spread far enough to create a good-sized wall. She would put her back to that. If she set a few well-placed traps, she might even have a chance to make it out of the fight alive.

Night set in before the sound trio found her. Sakura peered through the leaves of the tree she hid in as they cautiously advanced into sight. The larger one seemed to be the leader of the group and was the one she needed to pay special attention. The other male let out a bark of laughter.

"The female teammate ran away!" he exclaimed, trotting out in front of his team, "Look at this! Two helpless sheep!"

He was speaking of Naruto and Sasuke lying prone at the base of the tree Sakura hid.

The leader did not look as confident, "Zaku!" he snapped, "Get back here! This could be a trap."

Zaku shook his head. "Did you not see that girl? She looked too weak and cowardly to ever set up an ambush. You're overestimating her Dosu."

"I agree with Zaku," the girl voiced, "That girl looked like she spent more time grooming her hair than training."

Sakura bristled at the insult, despite how true it was.

"Advance slowly," Dosu said gruffly, "I don't want to fail our mission just because we underestimated a girl."

Zaku rolled his eyes and started forward again. Sakura's eyes remained riveted on his steps, her heart racing as he drew closer to her teammates. When he passed the edge of the area she hid her exploding tags unscathed, she drew back her arms to let her kunai fly.

"Zaku!" Dosu warned as the kunai drew close.

Sakura's heart wanted to leap from her chest as she formed the sign for a replacement jutsu. She needed to get this right on the first try. There could be no failure now.

Zaku dodged and Sakura released her jutsu, appearing at his back. She drew Wrath and struck at Zaku's back. He turned in time and managed to get an armored arm up to block.

"God damn it," Dosu cursed, "Kin, go help Zaku."

Sakura advanced forward on Zaku, trying to remain in his guard to force him back.

"Don't worry I got this!" Zaku exclaimed as he blocked her strikes.

He danced away from her range and lowered his arm at her.

"Take this you bit-" Zaku started.

Before he could finish his sentence or attack her with the jutsu he was preparing an explosion engulfed him. Zaku screamed and the shock threw him back a few feet. When he didn't rise, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kin get Zaku!" Dosu commanded while he sprinted toward Sakura.

Sakura walked carefully into her minefield and braced herself for Dosu's onslaught. During the first part of the test Kabuto had been affected by Dosu's punches even though he had dodged. Dosu must be using a jutsu with his attacks

Sakura ducked under a Dosu's uppercut. He lashed out with a roundhouse kick and Sakura deflected it, putting him off balance. She blocked a loose swing to her face, not having enough time to dodge successfully. Sakura heard a loud ringing and she screamed with pain as her eardrum ruptured. She stumbled back, aware that Dosu was talking to her but unable to hear him. The world spun around her and the ground swayed like a boat rocking in a tumultuous ocean.

Dosu pressed forward with a feral grin. Sakura barely managed to escape his attacks. A feral grin split his face and Sakura realized that he was only playing with her. He landed a kick on her abdomen that sent her flying into the tree behind her. She twisted herself around as she fell and managed to land on her feet.

She couldn't win. She hadn't hit Dosu once and she could barely see straight. Her heart began to beat with fear. She couldn't lose! If she did Dosu would massacre her and her team. There had to be a way to win. Ideas run through her head in flashes. They all lead to death.

"_**Kill the boy," **_Wrath whispered seductively, cutting in through her racing mind.

Her eyes locked on Zaku's prone form. What was it that Anko said? Any teams with a dead or dying member would be disqualified from the test. She merely needed to kill the unconscious boy. Her morals, always her pillar of faith, railed at the thought. Her brain tried to rid itself of the idea with a movement similar to gagging.

"_**Do it or die Sakura," **_Wrath ordered with a voce like steel.

'Fine,' she thought, 'I'll do it.'

She shut down on her emotions, caging them with her resolve. If she didn't kill Zaku Dosu would kill her teammates. She didn't have a choice.

She leapt into the air and released enough shuriken to set off all the exploding tags in her minefield. The explosion blew her higher into the sky, hot air encapsulating her. With swift movements of her fingers, she created an illusion clone and replaced herself with a branch above Zaku.

Time followed around her like honey as she fell toward Zaku's body, Wrath poised and ready. She could see nothing but the fair skin of his neck. Her pulse beat like a drum in her ears. Time started again with a rush. Wrath met little resistant as it bit through skin and muscle tissue.

"You bitch!" Kin yelled.

Sakura felt her grab a hold of her head. Kin wrenched her head back, and held a kunai to her neck.

"I'll slit your fucking throat open!" Kin screamed, her voice high with hysteria.

The kunai bit into Sakura's neck. Where were the examiners? The sound team was disqualified! A rational part of her mind told her that it would take time for them to reach the fight. Kin could easily kill her before the examiners arrived. She was going to die. Her fight for survival failed and she would die. She felt frozen, unable to take her eyes off of Wrath buried deep in Zaku's neck.

"Dosu!" Kin gasped out, "Behind you!"

Sakura snapped her eyes up. Sasuke stood behind Dosu in a strange purple chakra haze. Black marks danced up his skin like snakes. Orochimaru must have given him some sort of power when he bit his neck. But why would Orochimaru want to make Sasuke more powerful? He did seem obsessed with Sasuke during the previous fight.

"Sleeping beauty finally awake?" Dosu teased.

Sasuke didn't rise to the bait as he examined the fight. His eyes finally fell on hers and he scowled. He disappeared.

Kin made an odd sound and she released her hold on Sakura. Kin fell to the ground as Sakura turned to look. Sasuke stood above her, a bloody kunai in his hand.

"Who hurt you Sakura?" Sasuke hissed.

Sakura felt afraid of Sasuke. She instinctively drew Wrath toward her, consequently, removing it from Zaku. A lackluster stream of blood drained out of the wound.

"Answer me Sakura," Sasuke barked, scowling.

She stood shakily and faced him.

"Dosu, mostly. His main jutsu affects your eardrums through forceful sound waves. If you're hit by it you'll experience nausea, dizziness, and disorientation," she explained matter-of-fact.

He nodded and ran at Dosu, readying his flame jutsu. The fight was swift and brutal. Dosu was strong in taijutsu, but he was no match for Sasuke at his current state. Within three minutes, Sasuke managed to break both of Dosu's arms and render him unconscious.

The adrenaline left Sakura feeling shaky and empty. She couldn't focus on what she needed to be doing. A dead body twitches after death. Zaku's limbs moved in a phantom of life. If it weren't for the gaping hole in his neck, Sakura could have believed that Zaku still lived.

"Sakura." Sasuke's voice cut through her haze.

She jumped at the unexpected sound, so lost in her revie that she forgot the rest of the world. Sasuke stood near her. He seemed calm.

"I've gotten a heaven scroll off of them. We need to get going," he said.

"You," she trailed off trying to remember what seemed so important to her a moment ago, "You need to suppress that power. We don't know how it'll effect you but if you leave it as it is I'm sure it'll only make any effects worse."

He nodded slowly and closed his eyes. After a few moments, the purple glow died down and the marks retreated, leaving only a three pronged seal on his neck.

"Good," she said, "we should get moving. I set off a few explosions so anyone within a mile will be headed this way."

She took a step but her balance failed her and she stumbled to the ground. Sasuke walked up to her and offered his hand. She took it and he pulled her up.

"You're obviously not up to walking yet," he said, sounding annoyed, "We can wait for you to regain your strength."

"Thank you," Sakura answered.

It hurt at her pride but she knew he was right. Sometimes she could let herself be weak. She settled herself next to Naruto. As she rested, she could not see anything but Zaku's prone body.


	7. Chapter 7

**This is short, but the update was fast, huh?**

Sasuke, in his overconfident and powerful state decided that they would not move after all.

"You see, Sakura," he said abruptly while they waited for Sakura to regain her sense of balance, "if we stay here we can draw other teams to us instead of having to hunt them down."

Sakura could immediately think of several flaws in his plan.

"With Naruto out cold we're too weak to fight anyone, Sasuke," she warned.

He lifted his mouth in the shape of a smile; "Too weak?" he laughed bitingly, "No, no team here has a chance of standing up to me."

She eyed him wearily but said nothing. That seal changed more than Sasuke's chakra levels. It somehow affected his personality and made him rash and brutal. She would need to remember to tell Kakashi about it when -if- they got to the tower.

He stood and stared down at her. "You stay here and act as bait. I'll remain in the trees as an ambush."

He vanished before she could manage a reply. She sighed and rested her head on the tree she sat against. She had not slept for more than 24 hours and her chakra levels were dangerously low. She would be useless in a fight. She thought of the chakra pill Hasumi gave her. It sat in her pocket like a weighted ball. No, she could not let it tempt her. It could easily kill her.

It was all damn Sasuke's fault. Let him get himself killed, she raged to herself, she never wanted to become a chuunin in the first place.

She sighed and closed her eyes. If Sasuke thought he could get the next scroll by himself, let him. She would get some much-needed rest. It only took her a minute to drift into the realms of sleep.

Sakura's eyes snapped open as a flood of adrenaline hit her system. She leapt into a crouch, Wrath drawn protectively in front of her. The forest around her looked empty but she somehow knew instinctively otherwise. She could feel Sasuke in the tree tops just as she could feel three signatures in the forest near her. One was moving toward her, the other two toward Naruto who still lay unconscious.

She could feel someone merely three feet from her but she could not see anything.

"Fuck- release!" she exclaimed when she realized she was entrapped in an illusion.

The ninja became visible immediately. She gasped and rolled away from his kunai-lead strike. She snaked forward with Wrath, immediately going on the offensive. The ninja easily parried her off-target strike and snapped a kick at her stomach. Sakura hit the tree behind her hard. The ninja drew back his kunai, ready to send it into her forehead.

Just as she tensed for the blow, the metal tip of a kunai blossomed in the ninja's throat. He gargled, looking surprised as he fell onto her. Sakura impatiently pushed the body away. Sasuke engaged the other two ninja in a furious battle. He danced between and deflected the two's Kanata's easily. If it were not for the vicious and almost insane grin on his face, his movements would have graceful, serene even.

One of the ninja saw Sakura standing on the edge of the fight. He broke away from Sasuke and charged her, his Kanata high above his head.

"**Sloppy…" **Wrath muttered in the corner of her mind, _**"Kids these days…"**_

Sakura ignored him and slid into a defensive stance, waiting for the ninja to attack. She calmed her mind, using her adrenaline as a tool to sharpen her awareness. He would attack directly, from above. It would be an overconfident swing and he would leave his left side open.

When the ninja swung his Kanata down Sakura stepped aside easily. She pushed his two handed grip on the Kanata to one side, opening his left side further. It was easy enough to slide Wrath across his stomach. Still in a focused state, she only briefly noticed the rush of blood that splattered her.

Sasuke continued to battle the last ninja. They seemed matched, neither able to get in a final blow. Sasuke bared his teeth letting his moves get sloppier in his frustration. He jumped back and quickly started a katon justu. As he shot off fireball after fireball, his seal activated, marks flowing across most of his skin.

He started screaming as purple chakra burst out of him, lifting his hair. Sakura shielded her face against the flow of hot air. She knew that it could not be good if Sasuke used his newfound power again. He could become something dark and immoral if she let him abuse it. She did not want to lose the Sasuke she admired.

"God damn it," she muttered.

She ran forward, entering the range of the purple chakra. It felt like she had just submerged herself in a pool of scalding hot water. She shoved the pain back, not letting it stop her. She reached forward to grab Sasuke's shoulder.

"Sasuke-" she cut her plea short when he whipped around with a fist raised.

Taken off guard, the attack clipped her nose. She heard something crack and a rush of pain blinded her thoughts. Had Sasuke just hit her?

"Stay out of this!" Sasuke yelled at her, turning back toward the last ninja.

Her anger suddenly swelled and like a tsunami, it swept her into its depths. A growl rumbled deep in her throat. How dare Sasuke hit her! She would not let him get away with it.

With a cry, she tackled Sasuke into the ground. She grabbed his hair and slammed his head down. In a smooth movement, he flipped his body onto hers. If she were in a normal state of mind, his expression would have scared her. He slammed his forehead into hers with a dull sound. The hit dazed Sakura for a moment then like an animal she shook it off and pulled her arm back for a quick double jab. He caught her fist on the second jab. He paused mid punch, looking up at the sound of rushed footsteps.

Sakura and Sasuke leapt up simultaneously to respond the enemy ninja's attack. They flowed around the ninja, completely synchronized. The ninja grew frenzied as they gained the upper hand. Soon, he left an opening. Sakura kicked the Kanata out of his grip as Sasuke went in for the kill.

The ninja's hands fluttered around the kunai lodged in his stomach, as if unsure of what to do with it. He died slowly, blood dribbling out of his lips, his tears running down to join the flow. Sakura and Sasuke watched on in silence until the ninja finally toppled over with the departure of his consciousness.

The sounds of Sakura's and Sasuke's combined breathing filled the forest. Sakura stared into Sasuke's eyes, unable to react to the emotionally charged moment. Sasuke returned her incredulous stare, his mouth slightly agape. She realized that sometime during their fight, the seal had retreated from Sasuke's skin.

"Sakura…" he started unsurely, "I'm- … I didn't mean to hit you. I just…"

He let the sentence hang in the air, unable to finish.

She laughed, sounding weak and awkward.

"I think we're even," she said, trying to sound cheerful, "Lets agree not to do again, huh?"

She extended a fist with an inviting smile. Sasuke stared at it, and then scoffed, shaking his head. A smirk broke out on his face as he bumped his fist against hers.

"It's a deal."

They remained silent, staring at each other. A loud snort broke the moment.

"Don't take my ramen!" Naruto yelled.

He jumped up, whipping his head around as if to find something.

"Hey Sasuke, Sakura, did you see…" Naruto trailed off as he saw the carnage surrounding him, "What the hell happened here?" he finished.

Sakura broke out laughing. Her laugh sounded fake and slightly hysterical but if she did not laugh, she was sure she would start crying.


	8. Chapter 8

A little note from your author before we continue:

Once again I apologize about not updating. It seems that my will to write fan fiction come and goes with my mood. Some of you may have grown frustrated and decided to drop the story. I am sorry for that. But those of you that decided to stay I say thank you and I sincerely hope that I can finish this story for you.

Considering my long hiatus I included a little background within the story to catch you up on the events/plot.

Please enjoy and look forward to another update soon because I have so many ideas that I need to get down on paper (or... er... down on computer?)!

* * *

Sakura pushed her nose excruciatingly back into a somewhat normal alignment. She gasped with pain as the bone slid into place with a chilling crunch. She panted for a moment, fighting down dizziness.

"We need to go," Sasuke barked.

Sakura peered at him through bleary eyes. He had broken her nose only a moment ago and now he felt confident enough to be giving her orders?

"Fine," she snapped, "I'm only just on the verge of passing out, but that's no big deal."

"Yeah, Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, striding forward to come between her and Sasuke, " Sakura needs her rest!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he closed the distance between him and Naruto.

"We are sitting ducks out here," he said, throwing each word like a stone, "Sakura will be safer resting in the tower."

Sakura slowly pushed herself up, feeling every ache and cut on her body. She felt pretty confident that a few of her ribs were broken.

"Naruto, Sasuke is right. Let's go." She said wearily, walking past him.

She stumbled. Naruto rushed over and grabbed her waist to keep her from falling. She grit her teeth as a bruise she didn't know existed flared in pain.

"Let me carry you at least," Naruto said, sullen.

She hesitated then nodded. He swung her on his back, trying to be careful of her wounds but failing. Sasuke turned and ran into the forest. Naruto grumbled and leapt forward.

During the jarring and excruciating ride Sakura worried over the recent events. While she had fought for her life during the Chunin exam she didn't have time to stop and look at the overall picture of where she stood. A few days ago -had that little time passed? It seemed like weeks since then- she received a package in the mail. It contained a supernatural dagger, a dagger who called himself Wrath, and a note explaining how she was now involved in something called the Grizzly Game.

If a dagger that could talk wasn't unreal enough, six other deadly ninja wanted to steal it from her to win the game. If they succeeded, she, without a dagger, would have her soul taken as a replacement. She didn't know what not having a soul was like but she didn't ever want to find out.

Since then one player, Hasumi, revealed himself and offered a somewhat truce. She had to agree to his plan to act like bait and draw the other players in so he could steal their daggers because she had no other choice. As Wrath advised her (he had become an irritating but helpful voice in her head), she didn't trust Hasumi. After all, he probably planned to steal Wrath as soon as he was done using her.

On top of all this, her parents were out of town for a week (which may have been a blessing) and she had to enter the Chunin exams, where another fifty or so people wanted to maim and/or kill her. One of whom was Orochimaru, who was a senin, the most powerful ninja in Fire Country.

During their fight only yesterday, he managed to infect Sasuke with a seal; something that made him extremely powerful but cruel and ruthless. Sasuke had killed a girl, Kin, without a second thought. Sakura paused, but then again, she had also killed enemy Genin. She shoved a kunai through Zaku's throat in the hope that Chunin proctors would arrive and prevent the sound team from fighting further. Her plan hadn't worked. Instead, Sasuke woke and unleashed destruction upon the team.

Sakura remembered the look on his face during their fight. Both had let anger get the best of them and fought as an enemy stood only feet away. At the time his crazy fervor made her blood boil and rise to match his. It excited her and all she wanted was to feel cold adrenaline rush through her, meet the eyes of an opponent who could put up a good fight. In reflection, Sasuke's sharp smirk and crazed glint in his eye as grappled with her scared and worried her.

In the end they were able to team up and beat their enemy, gaining the second scroll. So maybe, Sakura thought, this new turn in Sasuke wasn't a completely bad thing...

A tower leaned over the trees as they closed the distance. Soon, Naruto jumped out of the tree line and into a clearing before the entrance of a tower.

"This is our last stop, eeeeverybody off!" Naruto exclaimed, imitating a conductor and kneeling to let her down gently.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his antics and slid off his back. The three of them pushed open the doors of the tower and walked into a large room with walkways overlooking the middle. There room was empty.

Sakura thought of what the test would probably have them do.

"There's no other choice but to open the scrolls." She said.

Sasuke nodded and pulled the scroll out of his bag. He handed one to her.

"At the same time," he said, gripping the edge on his.

She nodded and they simultaneously rolled out the scrolls. They had a few seconds to read the words on the scrolls before recognizing the summoning jutsu. They threw the scrolls a few feet away as if they were snakes. Sakura gripped the hilt at her side, wondering if this could be another part of the test. The jutsu summoned a man standing over the scrolls. His arms were crossed and a smile was on his face. It was Iruka, their academy teacher. They all relaxed.

"Why is Iruka here?" Naruto asked, pointing accusingly at him.

Iruka laughed, "I'm here to greet you for passing the test!"

Naruto immediately cheered and ran to give Iruka a hug, exuding his normal non-stop energy. Sakura and Sasuke sank to the ground to get some rest as Iruka explained the meaning of the Heaven and Hell scrolls and the aim of the second test. Heaven was synonymous with intelligence and Earth with fighting power and that the purpose of a team was to balance each other out.

He looked grave, "But for the last test don't push yourselves too hard."

"Wait are you talking about old man?" Naruto said, grinning, "I'm going to go all out!"

Iruka smiled and shook his head. Sakura could tell he felt partial to Naruto and worried over him more than most. It was nice to see an adult care for Naruto after watching him suffer insult after insult in the academy.

"Okay, since you guys are here two days before the end of part two you can use these days to rest up. We have a room for you three, a shared kitchen, bathrooms, training room, whatever you need until the last part of the exam." Iruka explained, turning and walking toward a door.

He gave them their room number and left. Sasuke led the way up to their room. They encountered a few other foreign participants and exchanged hostile looks. The tower was bigger than it looked on the outside, with sparse halls and doors marked with 'surveillance' 'testing room' and eventually floors marked with only numbers. Finally they found their room on the third floor.

Sakura entered behind Sasuke and surveyed the room. Three dinky looking cots, three chests at the end of each cot, and no window. She made her way to the closest cot and lay on top of the coarse blue blanket. At last, she could sleep indoors!

"This room is so ugly!" Naruto whined.

Sasuke grunted in response, setting his bag on the cot next to Sakura's. She blurrily watched her teammates bicker back and forth until her eyes closed and she fell into a deep and unthinking sleep.

When she woke the room was empty. She hadn't shifted in her sleep and her shoulder ached as she pushed herself up. She ran her tongue around her mouth, try to moisten it. God she felt thirsty.

**"Hey lazy brat," **Wrath spoke, nearly startling her because she had felt truly alone.

'What?' she thought at him.

**"That Hasumi kid stopped by while you were asleep. He said to tell you** **he spotted a player but couldn't manage to get close."**

Sakura's heartbeat quickened and she felt hot at the news. She knew it had to be only a matter of time until the players attacked her. Until now though she managed to keep that thought at distance, keep it unreal and possibly untrue.

**"He said to keep on your toes," **Wrath finished.

'Thanks for telling me,' she thought to him.

Wrath grunted, **"Don't worry girly, you'll always know when you're in danger with me here. I'm not completely useless."**

She nodded, feeling both reassured and sickened; sickened at the thought of someone -something?- watching her every move. She wondered briefly if he saw her go to the bathroom. She grimaced and stubbornly refused to think more about it.

Sakura sighed, blankly staring at the slate grey wall. Why was everything in this place so dreary? She got up, deciding that she needed to get into a crowded place. A player wouldn't attack her with so many witnesses. But where? The pain in her abdomen at her rise made up her mind for her. Medical it was.

She shuffled out the room, trying to wake her eyes and limbs. The hall curved each direction until out of her sight. She hesitated, unsure of how to get back to the first floor, where medical likely was. It seemed logical to avoid stairs when transporting injured ninja.

She turned thoughtlessly to her right, figuring she would reach stairs eventually. She was right, quickly finding a door leading into a spiral set of stairs. She descended to the first floor. It was busier on this floor, Chunin passing every so often. She stopped one and got directions to medical.

The medical room was clean, neat and quite busy. Several cots were filled with injured Genin. Most of their wounds looked relatively harmless. She wondered where they took the dead, like Zaku's body. A medical ninja distractedly filled out her information and gave her a bed. Another medic gave her a quick check up.

"Okay," he said, "You have a few fractured ribs, some flesh wounds, and a few bones in your hand are badly bruised. I'll going to perform a quick jutsu on your ribs so you don't puncture a lung. Just relax and don't fight my chakra."

Sakura nodded and his hands lit up with a green light. He closed his eyes and placed his hands over her ribs. She started to feel the intrusion of his chakra then he suddenly flinched. His eyes opened and he stared questioningly at her for a moment before returning his attention to the jutsu.

**"Huh," **Wrath muttered, **"He noticed my chakra. The medical ninja of this country have become more advanced." **

'What does that mean?' Sakura asked, immediately assuming that the medic found out about Wrath.

**"Don't worry pipsqueak, he just thinks your chakra is unstable, probably caused by a mental condition."**

'Great, now everyone will think I'm crazy' Sakura returned sarcastically

**"Better than the alternative."** Wrath quipped.

She could tell that he meant to make light of the situation but everything said in that voice of his just turned snarling and scary.

"So," The medic started, straightening up, the green haze dying from his hands, "Everything seems fine now." He paused, "I noticed some very strange patterns in your chakra that could suggest mental instability. Now, don't worry, this is common after the trauma of the Chunin exams. I'm just going to schedule an appointment for you with a psychologist to make sure that its nothing serious."

Sakura frowned, not liking the idea of someone prying into her thoughts. What if they somehow found out about the game? Maybe she could just not go to the appointment.

He stood, "Someone will call you once you're out of the exams. We can't do anything about it now because of interference rules."

Sakura nodded and said her thanks. She thought Naruto was most likely stuffing his face so she asked him where the cafeteria was. He gave the directions and she left medical, eager to finally quell the rumbling in her stomach.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled the moment she set foot in the modest cafeteria.

He drew the attention of the other teams. She spotted a few Konoha teams and returned their happy waves.

"Sit here Sakura!" Naruto continued to yell, waving his arms theatrically.

She walked quickly through the row of tables and sat next to him to shut him up.

"Hi Naruto."

He pushed a bowl at her, "I ordered you some ramen."

She pulled the bowl in front of her and snapped open the chopsticks.

Naruto wasn't finished, "I mean, I may have bought it for myself as seconds but I haven't finished my first bowl and it seems a little selfish to keep the second to myself while you look so hungry, right?"

Sakura laughed a little at his monologue. She knew Naruto could talk non-stop if she let him.

"Where is Sasuke?" She asked, swallowing her food.

He rubbed the back of his head and looked irritated, "That jerk Kakashi took him somewhere for extra training."

"Ah..." Sakura trailed off, deep in thought.

Kakashi had to have noticed the seal on Sasuke's neck. Could he remove it? She hoped so. While it made Sasuke more powerful it also made him more irrational and not himself. Besides, anything of Orochimaru's had to be evil.

She and Naruto finished their meals, and as she chatted with him she felt more at ease than she had been in a long time. Despite this, she could still feel something like pressure over her mind and it kept her a tense. After talking briefly with the team from Konoha, they returned to their room.

"I can't believe you slept all day!" Naruto said, falling on his cot, "And I thought I slept in late!"

Sakura laughed sheepishly, "I guess I'm just worn out."

He frowned at her, only half of his face visible as he pressed his head onto his pillow.

"Take better care of yourself will ya!"

"Okay, okay, I will," She lied, knowing how easily she could die within the next twenty five days.

For awhile Sakura meditated while Naruto did his usual round of showy exercises. He did things like one handed handstand pushups and balancing as many things as he could on his head. She thought he looked ridiculous. Sakura had just managed to fall into an deep trace when the door opened.

Sasuke stalked in, followed by Kakashi, looking carefree.

"Ah, Sakura, I see you're looking well," Kakashi said affectionately patting her head.

She nodded but kept most of her attention on Sasuke. His collar covered his neck so she couldn't tell if the seal was gone or not. Sasuke leaned against the far wall, hands in his pockets. He looked... kind of worn out.

"Be down in the front entrance tomorrow at twelve to continue the exam. I can't tell you what it is but I suggest you all get plenty of rest and not worry about it too much." Kakashi explained, "See ya."

He vanished out the door.

"Well... that was to the point," Naruto grumbled.

He turned to Sasuke, "So what was your extra training huh? Kakashi teach you some sort of awesome jutsu?"

"It was nothing," Sasuke said roughly.

He sat on his bed and began to undress, "You heard Kakashi, go to bed."

Naruto grumbled 'bastard' under his breath but did as he was asked. Sakura watch Sasuke's movements, noting how cautious they were as if he were afraid to inflame some sort of injury. She want to ask him about what happened but couldn't while Naruto was in the room. She laid back and decided not to worry about it until the morning. Naruto clicked off the lights.

Sakura stared into the darkness for awhile, feeling a little uneasy because of her total lack of sight. Their room didn't have a window and the door into the hall way was thick and heavy, not letting even a sliver of light in. She couldn't focus her gaze on anything. She turned on her back and stared sightlessly up. Her vision filled with the sight of Wrath lodged in that boy's neck, the gurgle he made while blood pooled into his lungs. It took her some time before she could doze off.

In the morning the three of them went down to eat together and do some light training before going to the main entrance. Sakura kept trying to get Sasuke alone but he kept avoiding her. He even put up with more of Naruto's antics. Her annoyance with him grew and she decided that she would ignore him in return. If he didn't want her help then she didn't want to give him any!

On the way to the exam they met Ino's team.

"Sasuke you passed!" Ino shouted, running up to him.

He grunted and ignored her. Ino pouted and turned her attention to Sakura.

"Hey forehead, ready to lose?" Ino taunted.

"Only if I can take you down with me," Sakura shot back.

Ino smirked, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder, "Hah, as if a little weakling like you could do anything like that."

Sakura shrugged. They reached the large entrance hall and took their places in the group of genin, forming three lines of six. The test proctors stood in a v at the head of the room, the Hokage at the center. Behind him, in a line, stood the Jounin group leaders. After surveying the group of genin Sakura noted that all the Konoha teams had passed. She felt proud of her country; obviously Konoha was the strongest of all the countries here.

The Hokage started to speak. He said that the purpose of the Chunin exams was to stave off war between countries by creating a sort of play war among their Genin. The exam was also a chance for the countries to show off their manpower. It didn't surprise Sakura that the countries would come up with something like that to let their ninja exercise their lust for blood. Sure, she thought cynically, a few Genin died but what use did they have?

The referee, Gekkou Hayate took over for the Hokage. Hayate's eye's drooped with large, dark bags, making him look sickly and tired.

"Before the third test there is a preliminary test to decide who gets to participate," he said bluntly, "Too many genin passed the first and second test this year which mean it may have been too easy. So according to the rules we must have a preliminary round to reduce numbers."

Some Genin cried out in protest. Sakura didn't really mind, she had gotten more rest than most of the Genin and she felt sure that she could pass.

"It is a fair system," Hayate continued, "If anyone is feeling unwell after the second test they may quit."

"I'm going to quit," A Genin raised his hand promptly, walking out in front. It was Kabuto, the boy who helped them before the first test.

"Kabuto from the leaf right? You may leave," Hayate said, inspecting his clipboard, "Anyone else? The test is going to be individual battling so use your own judgement."

Kabuto quietly left the group. Everyone remained silent for a moment before Hayate moved on.

"Let's begin. We will conduct 8 matches with one of you fighting a proctor. There are no rules, the fight continues until one of you dies, is knocked out, or admits defeat. Because we don't want too many deaths I can jump in at any time and announce a winner."

A wooden panel on the back wall pulled up, revealing an electronic score board.

"This score board will show the matchups for each battle." He explained, looking up at it.

The board light up and announced the first match up. Uchiha Sasuke vs Akado Yoroi. Sakura glanced at Sasuke. He looked eager. Sasuke and the Konoha ninja stepped to the middle. Everyone else was ordered to the upper level to watch. Sakura took a place in between Naruto and Kakashi at the railing.

Sasuke managed to finish his fight quickly and without using the seal. The other ninja was able to absorb chakra but because Sasuke was fresher than him Sasuke avoided all of his attacks easily. In the end Sasuke knocked him out with a solid roundhouse.

The Konoha Genin cheered as Sasuke climbed to the upper level. Sakura eyed him suspiciously, still miffed that he wouldn't tell her about that seal. She turned her attention the board. It read Yamanaka, Ino vs Haruno Sakura. Well, at least she could get this fight over with. Sakura glanced at Ino. Ino gave her a confident smirk and jumped into the arena.

"Come get me forehead!" She shouted up at her.

"You kick her ass Sakura!" Naruto said, patting her on the back.

Sakura smiled at him before joining Ino in the arena. She stood calmly across from her. They used to be friends- it seemed ages ago. Sakura was bullied as a child and Ino stood up for her. Why had they stopped being friends again? Oh yeah, she remembered, she fell in love with Sasuke after seeing him train. Ino, who also had a crush on Sasuke, became her rival for his love. It seemed to her now that that was such a silly reason to argue.

"Ino," Sakura said loudly and confidently, "I'm going to take this match seriously. But after this I want to put all that fighting behind us. As ninja of Konoha we must stand in solidarity and learn to rely on each other."

Ino smiled widely, "I was wondering when you'd come to your senses! All right! Get ready to get your ass handed to you!"

Sakura met her smile, not expecting Ino to accept so easily. Her anxiety had been all for nothing all this time.

"Begin!" Hayate ordered.

Because Sakura knew exactly how Ino fought and how to approach her, Sakura made the first move. She would attack fast and knock Ino out before she had a chance to use her jutsu. She attacked head on, driving Ino back with rapid strikes. Ino's eyes widened as she frantically blocked with a kunai. Sakura knew she fought differently now. Not because she had gained strength or a new ability, but because she gained confidence and the will to do what it took to win. She planned out each series of attacks and was able to execute them perfectly. Ino had no chance at all against her.

Sakura delivered a particularly strong strike that threw Ino off balance. As she recovered, Sakura made two illusions of herself. They attacked simultaneously. Sakura knew Ino would dodge backward, not knowing which was the illusion, so she leapt a second before her clones' attack, aiming a kick at the place she calculated Ino would retreat. Her kick met flesh solidly. Ino flew back limply into the wall.

Sakura smirked and landed gracefully in front of her. Ino groaned and staggered forward. It had really been too easy. Sakura's blood rushed with excitement and pride. Now just to watch Ino fall...

**"Sorry to disappoint little one," **Wrath growled suddenly, not sounding sorry at all, but very proud of himself, **"I think it's time we had chat." **

Sakura felt confused before darkness descended and she knew nothing.


	9. Chapter 9

Sakura opened her eyes. Trees towered high above her, joining a ceiling of foliage. The atmosphere felt heavy, damp, and too silent. She recognized the Forest of Death instantly. She sat up and put her head in her hands. Why was she back here? The last thing she remembered was Ino sliding to the ground in a faint after their battle. Then Wrath had said something to her... she couldn't remember it. Why had she woken up in the middle of the forest? She considered the question. She could have been entered into a tie breaker; she and Ino did pass out at the same time. Maybe Ino was waking up in a different part of the forest as well. Sakura settled on that explanation and decided she would explore and try to find her.

She got to her feet and looked around, trying to establish her sense of direction. The crown of the forest was so thick she couldn't see through to the sky. With the sun it would be difficult to get her bearings and sense of time. She started forward in a random direction, putting her hand on Wrath's hilt in habit. Her hand met air. She whipped her head down to look. Wrath was gone!

Her mind fell into a nervous convulsion as she rapidly searched to find the missing dagger. She couldn't find it anywhere on or in her clothes. She got on her hands and knees and ripped her hands through the grass around her in case Wrath was concealed in it. No, no, no, no, no, she thought over and over again. How could this happen? By the time she gave up searching her hands were dirty, wet, and sore. She sat back on her heels, her eyes dark and unseeing.

She forced herself to think rationally. Wrath was gone, sure, and she also didn't have any kunai or shuriken. It was a very likely that all her weapons had been taken away for the test. If that was the case then she just needed to finish this test to get Wrath back. If that was not the case... a sharp pang of animal fear tore through her body. Sakura didn't want to think about it. She forced herself to stop thinking and rose to her feet. She broke into a run. She needed to find Ino fast. Any of the other Grizzly Game players could easily ambush her like this.

She had only run a mile or so before she saw a figure in the distance. Could it be Ino? As she drew closer she could make out some of the figure's feature. Long black hair, white robes, and a pale, pale face. She stopped abruptly, gasping with surprise. It was Orochimaru!

He laughed, his voice faint across the distance.

"My little Sakura you can come closer. I won't bite," he teased, his voice light and friendly.

Without hesitating, she whipped around and ran the way she came. She knew she couldn't win against him. She froze was he appeared a few yards in front of her, smiling and relaxed. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest and her mind raced for a way to survive this meeting. She couldn't think of any plan of action. Without Wrath she didn't have a chance.

Orochimaru stood silently, his smile widening ever so slowly. His smile stretched across his face until suddenly he unhinged his jaw and a huge snake leapt out, its mouth wide and fangs dripping with venom. Sakura rolled to one side. The snake landed, its hiss almost loud enough to be a roar. Sakura scrambled off the ground and crouched to face to snake. It twisted around and struck. She turned and hit its head away from her. She leapt onto its neck, wrapping her arms and legs around it as tightly as possible. It writhed, trying to shake her off. She buried the nails of one of her hands into its flesh and used the other hand to beat at its skull. Eventually its skull gave way under her bloody fist. The shards cut her hands as she jabbed her hand into its brain. The snake stilled. She withdrew her hand from the mushy mess of the snake's head. She leapt up, immediately ready for another attack.

Orochimaru stood directly in front of her, grinning manically. His arm shot out and gripped her neck with vise-like strength.

"What great survival instincts you have," he hissed into her ear.

Her mouth gapped open, unable to draw a breath. She felt her face already starting to swell and turn red as he trapped the blood in her head.

"How deeply you fear me," he continued, his voice dark and angry in her ear, "as your pitiful life seeps away all you can feel is that horrible fear."

Her body writhed and kicked without conscious effort. Was this really the end? Even her thoughts were feeble and faded. She couldn't focus. He tightened his grip and she felt a sharp pain as he crushed what she thought was her windpipe. Her sight blurred and grew dark.

"Goodbye little Sakura," he whispered right as she died.

She woke to darkness, her heart pounding hard and breathing rapidly. She gripped her throat but felt only smooth skin. She felt no pain and could breath normally. Had that all been a dream?

"Did you like my illusion?" Growled a familiar voice behind her.

She turned her head. Behind her towered a demon. His huge muscular body was mostly human with clawed feet and hands. His head was large with narrow burning yellow eyes and two long curling horns rose from his head. His skin glowed red. Sakura could feel the warmth of him even at this distance.

"Don't waste my time with your fear," he rumbled, moving his great limbs closer, "You know who I am."

Sakura scrambled to her feet, flushed and sweating from his heat.

"You're Wrath," She whispered in fear and awe.

He grinned, showing long fangs. " You throw yourself in the way of death so often I thought I would give you a taste of the real thing. Did you enjoy dying?"

Sakura hated his self satisfied voice at that moment. Despite her fear she glared into Wrath's inhuman eyes.

"You had no right!" She yelled.

"I have every right over you!" He boomed, a roar grumbling under his words.

Sakura flinched back as he extended an arm. When a long scroll appeared in his claw she relaxed. He took a step forward, bringing the scroll close to her face.

"When you signed this contract you gave over the rights to your body to me." He said, grinning maliciously.

Sakura rapidly scanned the writing on the contract. The first part of the contract was a list of Wrath's talents and provisions for the use of such talents. The second got into detailed clauses and provisions. The sentence at the end of the contract caught her eye. She froze with horror as she read it; "In return for loyalty and services provided I, Sakura Haruno, will relinquish bodily control whenever Wrath sees fit." Underneath that sentence her name had been signed in blood. It was her handwriting.

"I don't understand." She stammered, "I never signed anything."

"You foolish girl. You know exactly when you agreed to this contract." He leered down at her, the contract vanishing.

She hissed as pain flared in her thumb. She brought it up to her face. A line of red burned into her flesh. This line... The first part of the exam! She had cut her thumb on Wrath so her could help Naruto pass the test. Had that been a contract?!

"I didn't know," She breathed, shocked with the revelation.

"It is a contract binding until death," Wrath said, walking a little ways from her, "We are partners in this until your end."

He turned to her, studying her with his great burning eyes.

"I withdrew your mind from consciousness so you would be forfeit from the exams. It was idiotic of you to not realize yourself that the exams are not important compared to surviving this game. If you wish to live you must become stronger. I can help you with that. I can increase your chakra reserves by feeding my own energy through your chakra coils. This will expand your coils until your body can produce the same amount that I give you. Humans are fragile so I will have to do this in steps and your chakra will be harder to control. Also, our contract allows you to summon my minions to your aid. You won't be able to summon most of them at first."

He placed a heavy claw on her head. She strained under the weight and heat.

"We will start now." He said abruptly.

Sakura felt fire run through her body. She grew pale and weak with the pain. Wrath didn't let up his inflow of chakra and Sakura's knees began to shake with the strain of standing. After what seemed ages he removed his hand and Sakura fell at his feet, breathing hard.

"Your chakra should generate and replace mine within a few days. I will add more then. Oh, and one more thing," He grabbed her wrist, pulling her half off the ground. Her wrist flared with pain. She groaned as he dropped her. He must enjoy torturing her she thought within the haze of pain. What had he done to her wrist? She weakly held her hand up to her face. A tattoo adorned this inside of her wrist. It was a line through two entwined circles and two skeletal wings rose from the first circle. A scroll clattered to the ground next to her.

"Those will allow to use my summons." Wrath explained tersely.

She looked up at his large frame towering over her.

"Now you need to go," He commanded. And with a wave of his hand, she woke up.

The sheets tangled around her body were damp and hot with her sweat. Sakura struggled to remove them, still shaking and weak with pain. Once she had finally managed to kick them to the floor she examined her surroundings. An IV drip fed into her arm. She was in a hospital room and must have been checked into the hospital after fainting The curtains around an open window ruffled in a breeze, cooling her heated cheeks. A large, heavy turquoise curtain separated her from the rest of the room. She wondered who was on the other side.

Sakura heard steps approaching from the hallway and focused on the door. It opened and a medic ninja stepped in, looking down at a chart as she made her way to the foot of Sakura's bed.

"Well, it looks like you have a few injuries but nothing lift threatening," the woman said as she finished rifling through the pages, "I'll just check your vitals and change your IV and I'll be on my way." She finished, finally looking up and smiling briefly at Sakura.

Sakura wanly returned her smile. She looked out the window as the medic bustled around her bed. How nice it would be to be outside... Sakura returned her attention to the medic as she jostled the IV in her arm.

"Just changing your bag," the medic said distractedly.

Sakura nodded. The medic finished and started making notes on her clipboard. Sakura frowned. Something felt off to her. Some sort of odd feeling in her gut.

**"You fool! That IV bag is filled with poison!" **Wrath roared loud enough to make Sakura jolt.

Sakura acted without thought and ripped the needle out of her arm. The medic quickly looked up, a snarl marring her face. Sakura scrambled out of the bed, ignoring her weak limbs.

"Intruder!" She yelled toward the hall, "Someone come quickly!"

Even before she had finished speaking, a figure shot through the open window and attacked the medic ninja. They exchanged rapid blows and Sakura realized it was Hasumi. Several medic ninja appeared the doorway, kunai drawn.

"Both of you stand down!" One shouted.

Hasumi spared them a single glance and then smirked at the intruder, who Sakura realized now that she had dropped her transformation jutsu, was a player of the Grizzly Game. She couldn't recall his name despite reading the file the Grizzly Game provided on him only a few days before.

"Want to take this outside?" Hasume asked the player.

He returned his smirk, "Gladly."

They both vanished out the window. Sakura and the medics rushed to the window to watch the two vanish down the road.

"You!" The first medic yelled out the window at a passing chuunin, "Follow those two!"

The chuunin nodded curtly and ran down the road. One of the medics ran out of the room. The first medic turned to Sakura urgently.

"Tell me what happened," He demanded.

Sakura worried at her lip anxiously before responding. Would she be punished for not telling the Hokage about the Grizzly Game? She decided that she shouldn't lie and dig herself into a deeper hole.

"Why is he targeting you?" The medic asked when she explained how the fake medic had attacked her.

Sakura hesitated, "I would like to explain that directly to the Hokage."

"You aren't worth the Hokage's attention-" The medic snarled.

"Rui!" The other medic snapped, quieting him, "You don't know what the Hokage wants! Take it up with Iruka!"

Rui clenched his teeth, shot Sakura a glare, and then spun on his heel and disappeared out the door. The other medic gave her a slight apologetic shrug and then followed after Rui.

Sakura sighed, relaxing her shoulders. She hadn't realized she had been so tense.

"Sakura." She jumped and her gaze shot up.

Sasuke stood at the edge of the heavy curtain that separated the room, clad in a wispy hospital gown. He looked pale and his face drawn. A bandage covered the mark on his neck

"Why are you being targeted?" He asked, his voice leaving no room for her refusal.

She opened her mouth and then closed it again, a loss for what to say. Sasuke noticed her hesitance and scowled.

"Tell me." He demanded.

She really didn't want to tell him but couldn't see a way to avoid it. She explained briefly and haltingly the parameters of the Game. She said nothing of Wrath's powers, feeling embarrassed that she had been tricked into her contract.

"You idiot," Sasuke hissed, "You should have informed the Hokage."

Sakura glanced contritely at her lap.

"I know that now."

"Sakura Haruno." A medic said, appearing in the doorway, "The Hokage will see you now."

Sakura felt a stab of nervousness. She tried to fight it and rose, following the medic. The medic led her through the busy hospital and out a side entrance. Sakura relished the warmth of the sun on her skin as they walked through the streets to the Hokage tower. They entered the building, which was relatively empty for the middle of the afternoon, and quickly walked the familiar route to the Hokage's office. The medic rapped on the door.

"Sakura Haruno to see the Hokage," he said.

The door opened. Sakura smiled at her previous sensei, Iruka, who had opened the door, and walked past him into the room. Iruka shut the door after her. Her pleasure at seeing Iruka quickly died away as she faced the Hokage's desk, looking more broad and imposing than she remembered. The Hokage sat in a large chair, lowered face hidden under his hat. She walked closer and he looked up from his paper work, fixing her with a weighted stare.

"Sakura," he started, sounding grave, "What is this I hear about you being attacked?"

"Well," she said slowly, unsure of where to start. She quickly summed up the past week, again leaving out details about her contract with Wrath and his powers.

The Hokage remained silent for some time, his eyes considering her under heavy brows. He looked ill at ease. Sakura began to feel even more nervous than before. Her stomach turned and she wondered if she would throw up. She glanced around the room, trying to decide where the best place to empty the contents of her stomach would be. She decided on the window when the Hokage cleared his throat.

"Obviously, Sakura, the first thing you should have done was inform me of this. Most of your trouble so far could have been avoided," He said severely.

Sakura nodded enthusiastically and tried to look contrite. The Hokage sighed and took up his pipe, taking in a great puff.

He let it out and spoke around the smoke, "I am already aware of this so called 'Grizzly Game'. It has plagued many Konoha ninja for the past few years and while we've done all we can to avoid conflict, much blood has been shed. In your case, to prevent any further confrontation, I am assigning a round the clock surveillance on you and your place of residence. And, to insure your safety, you will not leave your home for the duration of the Game."

Sakura winced inwardly at the last statement. Sure, the Grizzly Game was dangerous but not leaving her house for twenty days was going to be incredibly boring.

"Yes Hokage," She said, trying to hide her displeasure.

He tilted his head toward Iruka, "He will escort you to your home and remain with you until one of our anbu arrives. You are dismissed."

Sakura nodded and turned and walked to Iruka. He opened the door for her and followed her out the hallway. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the door shut. Iruka ignored her and strode past her. She jogged to catch up. Iruka was quiet as they walked through the building. It wasn't until they got outside that he spoke to her.

"What," he snapped harshly, "were you thinking?"

Sakura flinched at his tone and averted her face from his.

"I..." She started feebly.

"You weren't thinking!" He exclaimed, interrupting her, "Do you know how easily you could have died? The people who participate in this game could have killed you in a heartbeat!"

"I'm sorry sensei," She said quietly, "I know I should have told someone about it but I was just so frightened and I wanted to pretend that nothing was wrong. I thought that if no one knew about it that it might just go away or something."

He sighed heavily. Sakura chanced a glance at him and felt relief when she saw a small smile on his face.

"You're still just a kid after all." He said, shaking his head, "I forget that sometimes."

He rubbed the top of her head, messing up her hair. She smiled up at him.

"Just don't do it again." He said, returning to serious tone.

She nodded, "I've learned my lesson sensei."

She looked up the street and saw her home come into view. They reached it in amiable silence. Sakura did a quick calculation and realized that her parents should be home by now from their trip to the spa. Maybe now that her parents were here and now that she had Konoha's protection from the Players she could stop worrying about being attacked and could relax for a change. Sakura skipped up the steps of her porch, eager to see them and happier than she had been in awhile. She threw the door open and froze on the precipice of the entryway.

Her shock was so severe that it took a moment to process the scene before her. The first thing that registered was the familiar sickly warm metallic scent. She was smelling blood. Then she realized the carnage before her was not some battlefield interposed on her living room floor. The faces on the corpses were very familiar through the mask of white marble death. That body, the one with her split throat, was her mother. The other body, with a stomach of torn meat and organs, was her father. Her parents were dead.

**Okay so maybe this update is a little short. And maybe it's a bit of a cliff hanger. I just couldn't help but to end things here; I'm starting to enjoy these tense endings. **


End file.
